Self Esteem
by poorpiratelass
Summary: Sequel to Tongue Tied. Madeline O’Connell is finally getting the mess that is her life in order. But when an old Med-jai friend reenters her life, along with a cursed necklace and a young anthropologist, her life is once again turned upside down.
1. The Decent Job and the Familiar Face

Self Esteem

Summary: Sequel to Tongue Tied. Madeline O'Connell is finally getting her life together. Her sister-in-law got her a job at the Cairo Museum before moving to England with Madeline's brother, Rick, and her nephew, Alex. Her best friend Jonathan Carnahan is also doing well for himself, running a very successful bar in the city, popular among the American and European tourists. But everything starts to go down hill when an old friend, Med-jai Chieftain Ardeth Bay, shows up at the museum and leaves an ancient necklace in the custody of the curator. Suddenly, the museum is attacked and Madeline finds herself in possession of the necklace, doing her best to avoid some very persistent thieves. Jonathan and Ardeth are her only allies – and Madeline's going to need them. If Madeline doesn't figure out how to stop what's headed her way, not only is the world going to end, but she will be the first to die.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Later in the story, we will be introduced to a legend about an Egyptian Queen named Nitocris, supposedly the last pharaoh of the sixth dynasty, and famous for the way she killed her brother's murderers. However, she is most likely completely fictional. As such, anything in the story involving her will most likely be just that: completely fictional. Enjoy!

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Chapter 1: The Decent Job and the Familiar Face

The time was the early nineteen-thirties, and the setting was Egypt, in the administration offices of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities. The curator, Dr. Ajwad Kadar, was shut away in his office, doing who the hell knew what, and his secretary, Madeline O'Connell, was filing some of his very important paperwork.

Madeline did this work with surprising happiness. Filing papers and brewing coffee might not be every girl's dream job, but Madeline didn't mind it at all. She had been employed at the museum for over six months now, ever since her sister-in-law, Evelyn O'Connell, had talked Dr. Kadar into hiring her for the newly opened secretarial position. This had been right before Evie had left for England, taking Madeline's older brother, Rick O'Connell, and their now three-year old son, Alex, with her.

Keeping a job for longer than six months was a personal best for Madeline, a young woman famous for getting herself fired, and she was perfectly content to be Dr. Kadar's secretary for the rest of her life. Dr. Kadar was a good boss – he treated her like an equal, and was willing to overlook the occasional mistake. And Madeline honestly found the work enjoyable – she liked being a secretary. It was a hell of a lot better than being a store clerk, or a bartender, or a waitress.

Humming contentedly to herself as she stacked the papers in alphabetical order, Madeline was almost disgustingly cheerful as she finished her filing. The only thing left to do was place the paperwork in the filing cabinet.

"Good morning, Maddie!"

Madeline jumped, turned, and felt the huge stack of papers slip from her hands. All the documents she had spent so much time putting in perfect order crashed to the floor in a mixed-up jumble that spanned a five foot radius around her. Damn it, anyhow.

Embarrassed and frustrated, Madeline managed a weak smile for the man who'd wished her good morning. "Hello, Mr. Berkley," she said.

He smiled at her. "You're looking awfully pretty this morning, Maddie."

Madeline felt a hot flush creep into her face. "Oh," she laughed nervously. "I… uh… thank you. You… you look good… as well."

He smiled again. "Thank you, Maddie. Well, I'll be off! Good luck with those papers!"

Madeline cursed inwardly as she watched the young, extremely attractive anthropologist walk away. He had been working at the museum for about a year, and his main job was to examine the many bones brought in from the digs that the museum was affiliated with. He was tall, blond, and muscular, spoke with a British accent, and had absolutely killer gray eyes. Madeline had been smitten since her first day of work when he had doffed his cap to her and said a merry, "Good day, miss!"

Once again, however, she had managed to look like an ass in front of him. But her embarrassment was not the only upsetting thing on her mind. She now had an hour's worth of filing to redo. This was just _so_ typical.

With a resigned sigh, Madeline knelt on the floor and began gathering the papers into an untidy pile, determined to at least get them all up off the floor. As she hurriedly snatched papers up off the aging carpet, stacking them in a manner that would have appalled Dr. Kadar, she was again interrupted. "Excuse me, miss?" a masculine voice called to her in a heavy Arab accent.

"One moment, sir," she replied politely, not looking up from her work. The pile she'd created was stacked in such a perilous manner, that Madeline feared it would all topple over if she removed her steadying hand. She continued gathering the strewn-about paperwork.

"Excuse me, miss, but this is very important," the man persisted.

"Yes, of course," Madeline murmured distractedly. "One moment. I'll be right with you."

"Miss!"

"I said, one moment!" Madeline snapped, grabbing the last of the fallen papers and gathering the stack into her arms. Some people just had no patience. Fortunately, Dr. Kadar didn't mind too much when she lost hers.

Her filing gathered up in her arms, Madeline finally stood and turned to address the visitor. "Now, what is _so_ important that…."

Madeline trailed off, gaping in shock at the man before her. For the second time in the past five minutes, she dropped the large stack of papers on the ground, and once again, they scattered everywhere. Madeline sighed heavily. "Damn it," she whispered.

"Madeline?" the man before her asked uncertainly, looking equally surprised.

The man before her was none other than Med-jai chieftain, Ardeth Bay. Madeline had met him on an ill-fated archeology expedition roughly four or five years ago. The trip had also been how her brother had met his wife. Evelyn O'Connell, or Evelyn Carnahan as she was known then, had saved Madeline's older brother from hanging – on the condition that Rick took Evie and her brother, Jonathan, out to the lost city of Hamunaptra. Evie had hoped to uncover some famous artifacts – but what they had uncovered had been some serious trouble. Soon, they had accidentally brought a cursed mummy back to life who'd been intent on destroying the world – and it had been with the aid of Ardeth Bay that the four of them had managed to send the mummy back to where he came from.

Since that fateful adventure, Madeline had occasionally met Ardeth in the streets of Cairo, when he came into town on business for the Med-jai. These meetings were rare, and very short. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because the sight of the very attractive chieftain, who had big brown eyes, large muscles that were visible even under his long black robes, and – unfortunately – ruggedly handsome features, was enough to turn her into a blithering idiot.

"Ardeth," Madeline said with a smile. Attractive men always caused Madeline to act less than intelligently. The one thing Ardeth had going for him was that during the time the two of them had spent saving the world together, Madeline had managed to loosen up enough to actually sound like a normal person when having a conversation with him – even if she did continue to do stupid things like drop Dr. Kadar's paperwork everywhere. "Hi, there. I... haven't seen you in awhile. Uh… what are you doing here?"

Ardeth was staring at her. Madeline wondered what the hell he was looking at. Knowing her, she was probably drooling or something. Madeline tried to wipe her mouth as inconspicuously as possible – just in case.

"You look different," he said finally.

Madeline frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Suddenly, it dawned on her that Ardeth was accustomed to seeing her wearing pants and boots, and looking rather sweaty and dirty. She looked down at herself. Today she was actually wearing a skirt and high heels – as if she needed to wear heels with her height – as well as a rather feminine blouse. Her long chestnut brown hair was pulled off to the side in a neat braid, and she was even wearing a touch of make up.

"Oh, right," she laughed, rather awkwardly. "Well, you know – office dress, and all that."

Ardeth nodded, still staring at her. "You, uh… you look… nice."

Madeline wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. "Thanks," she murmured.

"How are your brother and his family?" Ardeth asked politely.

"Oh, they're fine," Madeline replied. "Evie's got some prestigious job with the Bembridge scholars, and Rick's mostly just… being himself. Alex just turned three, so…"

"They moved to England?" Ardeth inquired.

"Yep," Madeline replied. "That's how I got this job actually. When Evie gave her notice, she asked the curator to give me a secretarial position, and, well… here I am."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's great," Madeline said with a smile. "How's… the desert?"

Ardeth smirked slightly. "It is… very dusty."

Madeline gave a small, rather awkward laugh. "Oh, that's… yeah." And there she went. She was back to sounding like an idiot.

Ardeth continued to smile. "How is Jonathan?"

"Oh, he's actually doing really well," Madeline replied. "He opened his own tavern in town, and he's making really good money."

"He is still in Cairo, then."

"Yep," Madeline said. "So, um… what are you… what do you need? Are you here to see Dr. Kadar?"

Ardeth frowned momentarily, but then understanding lit his face. "Oh, you mean Ajwad," he returned. "Yes, that is exactly why I'm here. Is he able to see me now?"

"Sure, go right in," Madeline answered, leading him to the office door. "So, uh, what are you here for? Got some sort of official Med-jai business or something?"

"Something like that," Ardeth replied, in his usual secretive manner.

"Right," Madeline nodded. "Evil mummies and such? End of the world is coming?"

"I can't really say," Ardeth returned.

"Right, of course not," Madeline fairly babbled. "Med-jai stuff and all that, I'm sure. Can't tell us outsiders, I get it. Um… yeah, so…" She opened the door to Dr. Kadar's office. "He's right in here. Hey, uh, I know you're probably busy, but… Would you like to go get a drink or something later? You know, catch up and talk about old times and all that stupid shit?" she managed to ask. Madeline could feel herself blushing as she posed the question.

Maybe it was her imagination, but she rather thought Ardeth looked regretful as he said, "I am sorry, Madeline, I cannot. I must return to my people at once. Times like these…"

It was on the tip of Madeline's tongue to ask what the hell he meant by 'times like these,' but she refrained. "Right, yeah, I get it," she waved him off. "No problem. Just thought I'd ask… yeah, so… go right in!"

Ardeth entered the office and shut the door behind him. Madeline sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "God, I am such an idiot," she whispered. "Did I seriously just ask a Med-jai chieftain on a _date_? Stupid, Madeline. Stupid."

She surveyed the mess before her. "Damn it," she cursed, kneeling on the floor and gathering the papers up for the second time that day.

As she cleaned up her mess, she heard Dr. Kadar say from within the office, "Chieftain Bay! What are you doing here?"

"I am here to deliver something of great importance to you," Ardeth announced. "I am entrusting this to you. You must keep it safe."

Madeline leaned closer to the door, straining to hear their conversation. She knew she really shouldn't be eavesdropping, but… well, she didn't really care. Her interest has been peaked.

There had been a moment of silence, but now Dr. Kadar spoke again. "No, Chieftain. I cannot take this."

"You must!"

"The necklace will not be safe with me! I am no warrior."

Madeline heard Ardeth sigh. "Ajwad, please. I _had_ to take this from its resting place. After all the robbery attempts, I knew it was no longer safe there. You must take this, and protect it. You are the only one who can even begin to understand its power."

"No, Chieftain," Dr. Kadar practically begged. "I cannot protect this the way it needs to be protected. I tell you, I am no warrior! I am a mere scribe! You are making a mistake."

'Take it, please! It will be safer here than anywhere else so far. Please, Ajwad. Take it."

There was a moment of silence. Then, suddenly, the door swung open, smacked Madeline in the head, knocked her over, and caused her to spill the papers she'd managed to pick up before she'd started eavesdropping.

Madeline reached up to rub her aching temple. "Ow," she muttered. "Damn it!"

The door closed, and Ardeth glanced over at her. "Madeline!" he exclaimed, kneeling beside her. "Are you all right?"

Madeline looked up at him, praying Dr. Kadar wasn't with him. Thankfully, Ardeth was alone. "Oh, yeah," she waved him off, trying to laugh. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

Ardeth frowned at her, helping her to her feet. "Were you eavesdropping?" he asked.

Madeline went wide-eyed, trying to look innocent. "No," she said, far too quickly. "No, I was… I was filing."

Ardeth's mouth twitched into what Madeline had come to know as the 'almost smile.' She continued trying to look innocent – even though she was pretty sure she was failing. "Of course," he agreed. Madeline knew he didn't believe her for a moment, but if he wasn't going to call her on her fib, then she wasn't going to push him. "Filing. Well, I must be going, Madeline. It was very good to see you again."

"You too," Madeline grinned, giving him kind of an idiotic half-wave. As soon as she did it, she hated herself, but there was no turning back now.

He smiled, nodded, and headed towards the door. Halfway out the door, he stopped, and looked back at her, a kind of frown on his face. "Madeline," he said, rather hesitatingly. "Just a word of warning. Should you need help later on…. Do you know how to gain the trust of a Med-jai?"

Madeline frowned at him. What the hell was he going on about now? "Uh… no?" she replied.

He hesitated again, and glanced back at the office. "The only sure way to gain the trust of a Med-jai is to say to him, I am a stranger traveling from the east, seeking that which is lost. Then he will reply, I am a stranger traveling from the west, it is I that you seek. Or, the other way around. Do you understand?"

Madeline continued to frown at him. "I suppose…. Why are you telling me this?"

Ardeth looked away from her. "Something troubling is happening in Egypt. I fear that…" he trailed off, and then looked back at her. "Be careful, Madeline," he said. Then he turned and left the museum.

Madeline watched him go, confused. Be careful of what, exactly? What was going on?

"Madeline!"

At the sound of her name, Madeline jumped and turned on the speaker. Dr. Kadar was standing in the doorway to his office, staring at the mess before him. The short, lean Arab man usually wore a good humored smile on his bearded face, but today his eyes were wide with shock, and his hands were trembling. "What happened out here?" he exclaimed.

"Oh," Madeline murmured, staring down mournfully at the mess she'd made. "I'm sorry, Dr. Kadar. I, uh… had a bit of an accident, I'm afraid. Don't worry; I'm in the middle of cleaning it up." Saying this, she bent down on the ground and began gathering up her papers.

Dr. Kadar heaved a heavy sigh. "It is all right, Madeline. I know you'll fix it." He stared at the door Ardeth had just disappeared through, looking troubled.

"Dr. Kadar?" Madeline asked, still organizing papers. "Are you all right?"

Dr. Kadar looked down at her, and smiled so fake that it was almost painful to watch. "I am fine, Madeline," he replied. "I am just… concerned about something an old friend told me. It will all be all right."

Madeline didn't believe him for a second, but she didn't get the opportunity to press the matter. Dr. Kadar turned and went back into his office, locking the door behind him.

A sigh escaped Madeline's lips as well. She went back to cleaning up the papers she'd dropped everywhere. As much as she liked Ardeth Bay, there was no denying that every time the man showed his face, trouble followed.

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	2. The Drunken Scarab

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Wow, I didn't expect so many reviews on the first chapter! I'm loving this! Big thank yous to cflat, marimo head's lover, Lucky Fannah, Nelle07, LadySoftball, Gem of the Stars, KcrystalLights, pirate hero, TWolf, Enka, Makayla, and RopedMeASparrow for the reviews! You guys rule!

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Chapter 2: The Drunken Scarab

When Madeline got off work that night, the very first thing she did was walk into downtown Cairo and right inside the Drunken Scarab – Jonathan Carnahan's oh-so-cleverly named bar. Jonathan had been extremely proud of his establishment when it had first opened, and particularly fond of the name, so Madeline had always been careful not to let him know that she thought the name of his pub was pretty damn stupid.

The events of the day had been both stressful, confusing, and, above all, embarrassing. This meant that Madeline needed two things – a drink, and a chat with her best friend.

As she approached the bar, she saw Jonathan leaning over the counter and chatting up an absolutely drop-dead sexy blond. Madeline rolled her eyes and took a seat on a vacant barstool. Jonathan caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye, said something hastily to the blond, and hurried over to see Madeline. "Maddie, old girl!" he exclaimed with a wide grin, reaching under the counter and pulling out a shot glass. Madeline raised an eyebrow as Jonathan reached behind him and grabbed hold of the whiskey bottle, unscrewed the cap, and poured her a shot. "And how was your day, working gal?"

"How did you know what I wanted?" Madeline asked.

"You had that 'I need whiskey' look on your face that I know so well," Jonathan returned. "Which can mean one thing and one thing only – somebody had a bad day."

Madeline smiled ruefully, and tossed the shot down her throat. "Thanks, Jonathan."

He poured her a second shot and leaned on the bar. "Would you like to talk about it, old girl?"

She snorted. "Don't you have a leggy blond to get back to?"

Jonathan sent a look down the bar at the woman in question. The blond smiled big for him, and gave him a sexy little wave. "Oh, right," Jonathan laughed, waving back. Then he turned to Madeline and smirked. "She'll wait up for me. I told her I was a millionaire."

Madeline rolled her eyes again. "Nice, Jonathan. Classy."

"So, what was so absolutely horrible that happened at work today to warrant whiskey?" Jonathan asked.

She sighed. "You will never believe who I saw this afternoon."

"The incredibly sexy Mr. Berkley, perhaps?" Jonathan asked innocently.

Madeline smacked him playfully in the arm. "Shut up. Yes, as a matter of fact, I did see him, and the sight of him caused me to drop Dr. Kadar's paperwork all over the floor – but Mr. Berkley is not the man I was talking about."

"Well? Then who is?"

Madeline nearly pouted. "Ardeth Bay."

Jonathan choked on the shot he had just thrown back. Madeline nodded knowingly. "I know," she said, downing her second shot.

"Well… how did it go?" Jonathan asked.

Madeline sighed – again. "Well, first I dropped Dr. Kadar's paperwork all over the floor – for the second time."

Jonathan snorted. She glared at him. "Sorry," he quickly apologized.

"And it was all downhill from there," Madeline continued. "I asked him how the desert was, and he said dusty. Then I think I might have asked him out on a date, which he rejected. Oh, and then I was eavesdropping on his conversation with Dr. Kadar, and he opened the door, which clocked me in the head and knocked me on my ass. I think I'm getting a bruise, actually."

Jonathan laughed out loud at this. Madeline smacked him in the arm a second time. "Shut up," she snapped.

"Sorry, Maddie, but…" Jonathan refrained from finishing the sentence, and poured her a shot instead. "Here, drink up."

She did just that. "Seriously, Jonathan? Fuck my life."

He smiled sympathetically. "Exactly why was Ardeth visiting Dr. Kadar?" he asked curiously.

Madeline shrugged. "I don't know. Something about protecting a necklace."

"Necklace?" Jonathan asked, his interest immediately peaked.

She nodded. "Yeah, but I wouldn't get too excited, Jonathan. It sounded like the 'end of the world' type of necklace."

Jonathan pouted, slumping over the countertop. "Well, that's no fun."

"Tell me about it," Madeline agreed. "Well, I suppose I'll let you get back to your blond."

Jonathan cast a look back at the woman who was still trying desperately to get his attention. "I have an idea," he announced. "How about you go chat up the blond with me? Make me look pretty good to have respectable young ladies as my dear friends who say only nice things about me."

Madeline laughed. "Are you serious? Come on, Jonathan, I'm tired of playing wingman!"

"Well, I'm sorry, Maddie, it's just that you're so bloody good at it!"

Madeline sighed, rolling her eyes. "All right, fine. Introduce me."

"With pleasure," Jonathan returned. He made his way back down the counter to the leggy blond in question, and Madeline followed, taking a seat directly beside the young, busty woman. "Chandra," Jonathan announced. "I would like you to meet a very dear friend of mine, Miss Madeline O'Connell. Maddie, this is Chandra Saint-Shepherd."

"Nice to meet you," Madeline said with what she hoped was a winning smile. Chandra's smile wasn't particularly friendly.

"How do you do?" she replied in a heavy New York City accent, giving Madeline a rather disdainful look.

"Well, I'll leave you two gals alone," Jonathan said. "I have some business that needs attending – it will only take a moment."

Chandra Saint-Shepherd gave Madeline a once over. Madeline returned the favor. The differences between them were stark. Chandra was a white-blond, and her hair was all poofed up in the latest style. She was wearing a very revealing red dress, which showed off way more leg and cleavage than was necessary, and there was enough make up on her face to be spotted by ships coming in from sea. Madeline suddenly felt rather inadequate, with her boring brown braid and clothes. Compared to anyone else, her skirt and blouse wouldn't have appeared too conservative, but next to Chandra, Madeline felt she looked matronly.

"So, how do you know Jon?" Chandra asked in a rather dangerous tone of voice.

Madeline laughed on the inside. Jon, was it? Outwardly, she managed to keep it together. "Oh, Jon?" she asked, laughing good-naturedly. "Jon and I go _way_ back. He's like an older brother or something." Madeline looked Chandra in the eye and said, "He's a good guy, a _real_ good guy."

Chandra looked suspiciously at her. "You been seeing him or something?"

"Seeing him?" Madeline asked, feigning confusion.

"Jon," Chandra replied. "He your beau or something like that?"

Madeline laughed again. "Oh, no, don't be silly. Jon and I are just friends. I mean," she leaned in confidentially toward Chandra. "Don't get me wrong. I love Jon, he's a wonderful guy. I'd have him tomorrow if he'd let me. But Jon never did like me like that."

Chandra seemed appeased. "Yeah, he seems like a good guy," she murmured.

"Not just good," Madeline added. "The best! He's so polite, and worldly, and funny! He has just the best personality! And he's such a cutie! Don't you think he's just adorable?"

Chandra looked over at Jonathan, who was pouring drinks for a couple on the other side of the bar. "Absolutely," she replied.

"Isn't he, though?" Madeline said. "Not to mention, the guy's a millionaire. I mean, who would have thought it, right? He's so down to earth. But the guy is simply rolling in it."

Chandra licked her lips greedily. Madeline had a hard time not bursting into hysterical laughter. She supposed she ought to feel bad about this, but girls like Chandra almost deserved it.

Besides, it wasn't a huge lie. Jonathan actually was pretty rich. Madeline might have exaggerated a bit, but when she, Jonathan, Rick, and Evie had left Hamunaptra after destroying Imhotep, the mummy they'd brought back to life, they had discovered a couple bags full of treasure on one of their camels. Split four ways, it was enough to pay everyone's debts and start them off living comfortably. And she wasn't lying when she said Jonathan was a good guy either. He may have been obsessed with treasure, and a chronic alcoholic, and a bit of a womanizer, but he was also a genuinely caring person, and the best friend Madeline had ever had.

Jonathan returned to the company of the two young women waiting for him. "Well, my bartender _finally_ came in for work," he announced. "So I am free to enjoy my night! What'll it be, girls?"

"Whiskey," Madeline replied without hesitation.

"Oh, yes, that's my girl!" Jonathan cried. "And for you, Gorgeous?"

Chandra giggled rather seductively. "I'll have whatever it is you're having," she half whispered.

Jonathan caught Madeline's eye when Chandra wasn't looking and mouthed, 'Thank you!' Madeline winked back.

The drinks were poured, and Madeline threw back her shot of whiskey. Jonathan and Chandra were engaged in 'deep' conversation, and fully ignoring her presence. Madeline sighed. Oh, well. By now, she was used to this.

"Women like that disgust me."

Neither Jonathan nor Chandra had noticed anything, but Madeline looked up in surprise at the comment. Sitting beside her was none other than Mr. Berkley, the sexy anthropologist.

"Oh… hello, Mr. Berkley," Madeline stuttered. "I… uh… didn't see you."

He grinned at her. "I know," he replied. "I'm sorry, Maddie, I didn't mean to startle you. Are these your friends?"

He gestured at Jonathan and Chandra. Again, neither one of them noticed.

"Uh… yes to the man, no to the broad," Madeline replied.

Berkley laughed. Madeline smiled, pleased with herself. "Good. I was afraid I might have offended you."

The two of them fell silent. "Can I get you another drink?" Berkley asked, gesturing to the shot glass cradled in her hands.

"Oh, uh… sure," Madeline murmured nervously. Berkley flagged down the bartender Jonathan had hired – a very curvaceous redhead with a penchant for cleavage bearing shirts (typical Jonathan) – and ordered Madeline's drink.

It was another shot of whiskey. Madeline had already tossed the amber liquid down her throat before she realized that she probably should have attempted a bit more refinement in front of Mr. Berkley.

However, the anthropologist didn't seem to mind. He laughed, and drank his shot as well. "I didn't expect that," he said. "Impressive."

Madeline gave a self conscious little laugh. "Uh… yeah. Thanks."

Beside them, Chandra let out an uproarious laugh, tossing her blond hair, and smacking Jonathan lightly on the arm. Jonathan looked ecstatic. Berkley made a disgusted noise. "That's simply horrible," he announced.

Madeline looked at him, surprised again. "What do you mean?"

He gestured at Chandra, making a face. "Women like that," he said. "I can't stand that type of woman."

For some reason, Madeline had a hard time believing that _any_ man would _not_ want to get up under that skimpy red dress, but she refrained from telling him so. Berkley continued with, "If she only realized what she looks like, all dolled up like that. With that ridiculous hair, and that dress – if you can even call it a dress. It looks like an overstretched blouse or something."

Madeline snorted despite herself. A grin was spreading across Berkley's face. "And she's wearing enough make-up to cover a clown," he went on.

Madeline laughed out loud. "No," Berkley went on. "I prefer much more natural looking women. A girl shouldn't have to wear that much make up, or show that much skin to get attention from a man."

What exactly was she supposed to say to that? Madeline had no clue. She decided her best bet was a smile, and silence. Berkley didn't need anything else to encourage him. "Besides, blondes are overrated," he said. "I find brunettes to be infinitely superior."

Madeline was almost positive that her entire face was on fire. The blush was even creeping up into her forehead. "Can I get you another drink?" he asked.

"Uh… sure," Madeline murmured, smiling slightly. It probably wasn't a good idea, since she was actually starting to feel the drinks she'd already had, but she didn't want to say no, either. She was probably misreading the situation, but she kind of thought that Mr. Berkley was flirting with her. And she certainly didn't want to screw this up.

The redheaded bartender refilled both her and Berkley's shot glasses. "Tell me, Maddie," Berkley said conversationally as his drink was poured. "How do you like working for Dr. Kadar at the museum?"

"Oh, well…" Madeline stumbled over her words, hoping the whole time that they'd eventually come together in a sentence that actually made sense. "I, uh… I like it a lot, actually… Dr. Kadar is… well he's probably the best boss I've ever had… but, you know, I'm not exactly a stellar employee, so… yeah. I don't know. I like it, I guess."

There was a grin on the young, blond anthropologist's face that was totally embarrassing Madeline. It looked a lot like he was laughing at her. She couldn't entirely blame him, she supposed. If it wasn't for the fact that she _was_ her, she'd probably laugh at herself too.

He clinked his shot glass against hers. "Drink up."

And Madeline did exactly what he said. After all, drinking was what she was good at.

* * *

Many shots later, Madeline's tongue had loosened considerably, and she was actually having a conversation with Mr. Berkley – or Luke, as she was now calling him. Albeit, it wasn't the most intelligent conversation in the world, but both parties involved _were_ just short of falling off their chairs drunk.

"Maddie, darling, I must confess," Luke Berkley announced. "That from the moment I laid eyes on you, I thought you were one of the prettiest women I'd ever seen."

Madeline threw her head back and laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, you did not," she retorted. "No one thinks that about me. I'm not pretty."

"Yes, you are," Berkley protested. "You're stunning, as a matter of fact."

Madeline snorted. "Yeah, right. I'm a freaking giraffe. A giraffe with huge arm muscles. And a big nose."

Berkley laughed. "I like tall women," he returned. "And there's absolutely nothing wrong with your arms. And your nose is positively perfect."

Madeline stared at him, with her mouth half open. The expression on her face was anything but intelligent, and anyone could tell by looking into her eyes that she was pretty damn drunk. A smile spread across Berkley's face. "You know that you have the most beautiful blue eyes in the world," he whispered.

Madeline felt herself leaning towards the anthropologist, licking her lips expectantly. Berkley began to lean in towards her as well – until a loud, raucous laugh from Chandra Saint-Shepherd destroyed the moment.

Rather disgruntled, Madeline shot the woman behind her a nasty look – which Chandra was oblivious to. "I'm sorry, Maddie," Berkley murmured in her ear. "I shouldn't have… it was silly of me, really. After all, a woman like you probably already has a man in her life."

Madeline stared at him and shook her head in the negative. "No," she whispered. "I don't have any man in my life."

"Not at all?"

"Never."

Berkley's eyes widened in surprise. "You've never had a romantic relationship?"

"Nope."

He shook his head. "I don't believe you."

Madeline huffed indignantly. "It's the truth!"

"I'm sorry, but I simply can't wrap my mind around it! There's no way a woman like you has _never_ had a romantic relationship. The men should be swarming around you!"

Madeline laughed. "I think you have beer glasses."

He shook his head, smiling. "Your modesty only makes you more attractive. I can't understand why no man has ever tried to take you off the market."

Madeline shrugged, staring down into her shot glass. "So, if you've never had a romantic relationship," Berkley mused. "Then you must be… a virgin."

Madeline blushed. She may have been drunk, but this conversation was still embarrassing her. "Well… yeah," she murmured.

He smiled at her. "I knew you were the woman I was looking for."

"Maddie!" Jonathan shouted, draping his arm around her shoulder. "Chandra and I are taking this party back to my apartments! I _insist_ you join us!"

Madeline was still staring at Berkley as she replied, "I don't know, Jonathan… maybe I should…"

"No, I won't hear of it!" Jonathan interrupted her. "You are coming home with us, and that is that!"

Berkley finished the last of his drink in one gulp. "Yes, do go home with your friend," he said. "I'm returning home as well. Good night, Maddie. Be safe." Then he took her hand in his, brushing his lips against it, and walked out of the bar.

Madeline stared after him in shock. "Good job, Maddie!" Jonathan exclaimed. "I am impressed."

She snorted, giving him a playful shove. "Shut up, Jonathan."

"Come on, let's go," he urged her. Chandra was leaning on his left arm, her face snuggled in his neck. Madeline raised an eyebrow.

"All right," she said. "But I do not want to see anything you two do together."

"Deal!"

Madeline got down off her barstool, stumbled, and nearly fell. Jonathan grabbed her by the arm and steadied her on her feet. "Are you all right, old girl?" he asked.

"I am great," Madeline replied with a drunken smile.

"That's what I like to hear," Jonathan grinned, wrapping his arm around her waist. With Madeline on one arm, and Chandra on the other, he led the two young women out of the bar, and back to his place.

* * *


	3. The Problem with High Heels

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Big thank yous to marimo head's lover, LadySoftball, Makayla, Ravenclaw Samurai, Lucky Fannah, Blue Skies Rusty, TheWinchesterAngel, pirate hero, and Typhoid-Candy for the awesome reviews! You rule, and keep them coming!

* * *

Chapter 3: The Problem with High Heels

Madeline awoke slowly, blinking groggily, and rubbing her aching head. Squinting around her, she found herself in Jonathan's apartment, lying on his settee. As she slowly sat up, she heard a loud, high pitched laugh. "Thanks for last night, Jon," Chandra's voice tinkled into the living room. "I had a _really_ good time."

Madeline rolled her eyes.

"Ah, yes, and I did as well, Chandra, my dear," Jonathan's cheery voice floated back to Madeline's ears. "Safe walk home, and all that."

"Call me!"

"Good bye!"

The door closed heavily. A few moments later, Jonathan stumbled into the living room, yawning. "Maddie," he murmured. "You're awake, old girl! How are you feeling?"

"Like crap," Madeline said shortly. "I see you had a good night."

A rather satisfied smile spread across Jonathan's face. "Ah yes, that I did." He took a seat on the settee beside her. "You had a good night too, from what I remember."

Madeline groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Oh, no, what was I _thinking_?"

"That the incredibly sexy Mr. Berkley was absolutely, positively smitten with you?" Jonathan supplied.

Madeline sighed. "Yeah, sure."

"What were you two talking about, anyway?"

What had they been talking about? Madeline searched her brain for the answer. Suddenly, to her horror, she remembered. Another groan escaped Madeline's lips. "Oh, god. I cannot _believe_ what I told him!"

"What did you tell him?"

"I… I… I told him… I told him I was a… a…" Madeline trailed off, buried her face in her hands again, and whimpered.

Jonathan frowned, and shook her shoulder. "Well, come on, out with it!"

She looked up at him, horrified. "I told him I was a… a… a _virgin_," she whispered.

Jonathan stared at her for a moment. Then he laughed.

"Shut up!" Madeline hissed.

"Well, at least you didn't lie!"

"_Shut up_!"

Jonathan continued chuckling as he got off the settee. "Cor, I'm hungover," he announced, walking slowly into the kitchen. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"I'd rather die!"

Jonathan laughed again, and made some loud clanging noises. "Jonathan!" Madeline shouted at him, annoyed. Her head was killing her.

"Sorry!" The clanging ceased. A few minutes later, Jonathan walked out of the kitchen, two bloody Marys in his hands. Madeline rolled her eyes.

"Jonathan, no."

"Would you just drink it, please?" Jonathan said, returning to his seat on the settee and handing her one of the tall glasses. "It cures a hangover like nothing else."

Madeline sighed, but took the drink anyways. "I have to go into work this evening, too," she groaned.

"Why? It's bloody Saturday!"

"Yeah, I know, but Dr. Kadar's been working on something and he needed my help with the extra paperwork," Madeline replied. "It's just for a few hours tonight. It'll be fine."

"Yes, for you! But what am _I_ going to do all night without you?" Jonathan whined.

"I don't know, Jonathan, why don't you call _Chandra_?"

Jonathan shuddered. "I don't think so. Once was enough, thank you."

Madeline snorted. "You are absolutely terrible, Jonathan. That poor girl…"

"Oh, poor girl, nothing!" Jonathan interrupted. "Don't make me laugh!"

Madeline burst out laughing. "All right, all right! So she's been around the block a few times! But seriously, Jonathan, you are such a whore."

"Proud of it," he grinned. She laughed again.

"All right, I better be going," she announced, getting up off the settee. "I need to get less disgusting before work."

"Yes, yes you do," Jonathan returned. Madeline glared at him. "Sorry, sorry, go on! Get out of here!"

"Later, Jonathan!" she called, heading out the door. She was in a hurry to get home and get her body and mind back into working condition. After yesterday's filing debacle, the last thing she wanted was to disappoint Dr. Kadar two days in a row.

* * *

The sun had set nearly half an hour ago. Madeline was elbow deep in paperwork, trying to finish the filing before Jonathan gave up on her and left the bar. She was tired, hungover, and her high heel shoes were killing her.

She walked into Dr. Kadar's office, a stack of folders in her hand. "Here you go, Dr. Kadar," she murmured, laying the stack on his desk.

"Thank you, Madeline," he replied, scrawling feverishly in his notebook. Madeline walked out of the office and returned to her desk, where more paperwork was awaiting her.

She yawned. This was getting ridiculous. She just wanted to finish this crap and go get a drink with Jonathan. Hopefully, though, Luke Berkley wouldn't be at the bar tonight. She supposed things had gone well the night before, and if she remembered correctly, he had said some nice things about her, but Madeline was still mortified about how much she had told him. What the hell was she thinking, anyway? It was positively humiliating that he knew so much about her now, and that what he knew was so deeply personal.

There was a click in her ear. Madeline frowned, turned around… and found herself staring down the barrel of a shotgun. Her eyes widened in shock. "Where is the necklace?" the tall, muscular man demanded in a heavy Arabic accent from behind the cloth covering his face.

Madeline gave him an incredulous look. "What the hell are you talking about?" she exclaimed.

From deeper within the museum, she heard one of the security guards yelling in Arabic. Then a machine gun was fired.

The man with the gun grabbed her by the arm. "Come with me," he demanded.

"Uh… no," Madeline replied.

He yanked her to her feet, pressing the barrel of the shot gun into her neck. "Come," he commanded. The masked gunman turned away from her and headed towards the office door. From all over the museum building, Madeline could hear the blasts of both shotguns and machine guns.

If there was one thing Madeline was good at – and she was the first to admit that there weren't that many of those – it was holding her own in a fight. She attributed it to her older brother's careful instruction and her muscular build. Most of the time, her masculinity was a disadvantage, but in these sorts of circumstances it was a blessing. And she certainly wasn't going to let this man do whatever the hell it was he planned on doing to her – not if she could stop him. As long as the gunman was distracted, she decided to take advantage of the situation. Snatching the lamp off her desk, she smashed it into his head, knocking him sideways. As he stumbled, she grabbed hold of the shotgun, stepping out of shooting range. For a moment, they struggled over the gun, yanking it back and forth between them, until the man knocked her legs out from under her. Madeline fell to the ground, but didn't let go of the shotgun. The gunman nearly fell on top of her but miraculously regained his balance. They continued to struggle. Madeline attempted to kick him in the crotch, but failed dismally. Her calf length skirt was so tight that she couldn't lift her leg anywhere near high enough to reach the man standing over her. Damn her stupid office clothes!

The masked man actually laughed at her. Madeline's eyes narrowed angrily. She gave the shotgun a mighty tug, yanking the man off his feet and sending him sprawling to the floor beside her. He didn't let go of the shot gun, but Madeline jerked the butt of the gun into his face, and the man loosened his grip. She pulled it from his hands and struggled to her feet, taking a few wild steps backward. The man leapt to his feet and charged her. Madeline pulled the trigger, sending a single shotgun shell flying directly into his forehead.

The man dropped to the ground, dead. Madeline heaved a sigh of relief. Her relief was only temporary. The gun blasts suddenly sounded much closer than they had before, and she could hear running footsteps coming towards her work space. She grabbed the letter opener from her desktop, slicing a long slit in her too tight skirt, and ran for the office door. As she reached the door, she tripped over her goddamn high heels and fell into the heavy wood panels, twisting the doorknob as she did so, and collapsing inside the office. Quickly, she slammed the door shut and locked it.

"Dr. Kadar?" she called quietly into the office, getting up on her knees. There was no sign of the museum curator.

With the aid of the wall behind her, Madeline stood up. She checked the shotgun to see how many shells it contained. It was loaded entirely except for the one she had just used. Relieved, she tucked the letter opener into her belt. "Dr. Kadar?" she called again, tiptoeing around the desk.

She jumped about a foot in the air when she found someone hunched behind the heavy wooden piece of furniture. He jumped as well. It was none other than the museum curator.

"Dr. Kadar," Madeline exclaimed, kneeling beside him. "You scared me!"

"Keep away from me!" he cried, backing away from her. He stared in terror at the shotgun in her hands.

Madeline looked down at the gun. Crap. "This isn't what it looks like," she announced.

"Get away!" he shouted.

"Dr. Kadar, please," she murmured, crawling to him very slowly. "They'll hear you."

"You will never get the necklace!"

"Would you listen to me?" she hissed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm trying to help you. I'm not after the necklace! I don't even know what the necklace is!"

Dr. Kadar glared mistrustfully at her, but said nothing. "Come with me," she said.

"Never!"

"Dr. Kadar," she half begged. "It's me, Madeline. Come on, you know you can trust me!"

"Someone in the museum is responsible for this!" he insisted. "Why not you?"

Madeline sighed. The sounds of battle were coming closer now. Any minute now, the museum's attackers would be breaking in the office door. She racked her brain, trying to think of some way to get him to trust her.

Finally, something Ardeth had said to her the day before popped into her head. "I am a stranger, traveling from the east, seeking that which is lost," Madeline said, rather hesitantly. She felt like an idiot saying it, but she couldn't think of anything else that would convince Dr. Kadar to trust her.

He stared at her, shocked. "I am a stranger, traveling from the west, it is I that you seek," he replied, eyes wide. Then he frowned. "You are no Med-jai," he announced.

"No," Madeline agreed. "I'm not."

"Who told you about that?" he demanded.

"Ardeth Bay," Madeline replied. "He's… an old friend of mine."

Dr. Kadar looked convinced. "All right," he murmured. "I believe you. But how are we going to get out of here?"

"I'm working on it," she returned. "Do you still have the, uh... necklace thing that they keep going on about out there?"

He nodded, patting his coat pocket.

"All right, follow me," Madeline said, getting to her feet and heading for the door. Dr. Kadar followed her nervously, stopping only to snatch his notebook off the desktop and tuck it under his arm protectively.

"Do you know how to use that thing?" he asked.

"Huh?" Madeline replied. "Oh, you mean the gun. Yeah, don't worry about it. I know what I'm doing."

The sound he made in reply wasn't exactly encouraging. Madeline took that to mean he didn't quite believe her.

Slowly, she unlocked the door and pushed it open. Poking her head out cautiously, she took a quick look around and determined that her desk area was deserted. Motioning to Dr. Kadar to follow, she stepped warily out of the office, gun held at the ready.

She heard a shotgun cock to her right. Madeline swung around in the direction of the noise, cocking her own gun. For a brief moment, neither her nor the masked man facing her spoke. They only pointed their guns at each other's heads.

"Put the gun down," the man said finally. He had an Arab accent much like the first one.

"Uh… not a chance in hell," Madeline retorted.

"I'm not here to hurt you," the man announced. "But you must come with me."

Madeline frowned. Something was wrong here. From the sound of things – guns were still going off all over the building – the people attacking the museum had no problem hurting anyone else who got in their way. Why did every man who came up to her with a gun try to take her away, but not kill her?

She wasn't going to wait to find out. Whatever the reason, it couldn't be good. Madeline pulled the trigger and shot the man between the eyes. Beside her, Dr. Kadar jumped about a foot in the air and half-squeaked.

It was true what he had told Ardeth the day before. Dr. Kadar was clearly no warrior.

"We have to get out of here," Madeline announced, racing for the door. Dr. Kadar followed close on her heels.

BAM! A heavy metal machine gun smashed into Madeline's face. Dr. Kadar yelped and scurried into the corner. Madeline fell backwards and landed hard on her back, somehow managing to keep her grip on the shotgun. The machine gun had caught her right across the forehead, and it had hurt like hell. Madeline moaned in pain. "What the _fuck_?" she shouted.

"Damn, ma'am, I thought for sure that was going to knock you out," the masked gunman in the door exclaimed in an American accent similar to her own.

"Nice try, idiot!" Madeline snapped, kicking him in the crotch. The man, too surprised to use his gun, fell to his knees. Using the distraction, she shot him in the chest.

"Are you all right, Madeline?" Dr. Kadar asked, sounding terrified.

"Yeah, I'm just fantastic," Madeline grumbled, struggling to her feet. The gun to the face might not have knocked her out, but it had probably given her a goddamn concussion. Why her? Fuck her life. "Can we just get out of here?"

"Absolutely," Dr. Kadar replied, sounding as anxious as she did. The two of them raced out of the administration offices and tore down the long hall that led to the museum's grand entrance way. Gunshots echoed all over the building. Any moment, Madeline expected to run into some other burly masked man toting a nasty looking gun.

Crack! Madeline fell to the ground as her high heel broke off. "Are you serious?" she exclaimed, picking up the heel and staring at it with a mixture of fury and dismay. "This is just _so_ not the right time for this crap!"

"Hurry, Madeline! We have to keep going!" Dr. Kadar cried in a panic, motioning frantically for her to get up off the floor.

"This sucks," Madeline said, getting to her feet and tossing the broken heel angrily down the hall. She limped after the museum curator. They made it into the grand entrance way and rushed for the front doors. Suddenly, loud gunshots rang out, splintering the glass windows around the entrance. Ducking down as low as they could, the two of them managed to dodge the bullets flying around the room and race out the door.

As they crossed the threshold, Dr. Kadar's notebook slipped from his grip and hit the pavement. They were halfway down the front steps when he cried out, "My research!"

"Leave it!" Madeline shouted at him.

He shook his head furiously. "I cannot!" he exclaimed. "They cannot get their hands on it!"

The curator turned and raced back up the steps. As he reached the top and dove for his notebook, a loud blast rang out, the last of the glass in the front of the building shattered, and Dr. Kadar went down.

"Dr. Kadar!" Madeline exclaimed, racing back up the stairs and hitting the ground beside him. He was laying on his back, staring up with an expression of pain on his face, a big, gaping, gory hole in his chest. She gasped, her hand going up to her mouth. "Oh my God," she whispered.

"Madeline…" he choked out.

He was still alive. "Don't worry," she said, even though the sight before her was absolutely disgusting. She tried not to gag. "It's… oh, god… it's going to be ok. It's going to be all right, I'm going to… I'm going to help you… I am…."

The museum director reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a golden necklace. Madeline's eyes widened. It was beautiful.

Dr. Kadar folded it into her hands. "Take it," he whispered. "Protect it."

Madeline stared at him in horror. His head lolled to the side, and his chest stopped moving up and down. Her hand shaking, she reached out and pressed her fingers into his neck.

There was no pulse.

More gunshots suddenly exploded far too close for comfort. Madeline tucked the necklace into the pocket of her skirt, snatched Dr. Kadar's notebook off the ground, and limped off into the dark streets. She only hoped she could make it back to her apartment without being followed.

* * *


	4. The Reason for Best Friends

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to RopedMeASparrow, hotredhead, marimo head's lover, LadySoftball, Typhiod-Candy, pirate hero, Lucky Fannah, TheWinchesterAngel, JenWinchester, Makayla, Simone Lecrae, and lawolfe for all the reviews! You guys rule!

* * *

Chapter 4: The Reason for Best Friends

Madeline ran into her apartment, slamming the door behind her and locking it with shaking fingers. Still clutching the shotgun to her chest, she raced all around the apartment, closing and locking windows, and drawing the drapes. As soon as she was convinced that she was relatively safe, she collapsed onto the sofa and stared straight ahead at the wall.

She was in a state of shock. Blinking, she absentmindedly turned Dr. Kadar's notebook around in her hands. Madeline simply could not believe that the kindly museum curator was dead. He had been the best boss she had ever had, and in the six months she'd spent working for him she had developed a genuine affection for him.

Tears were threatening to spill over her cheeks. Madeline swallowed, took a deep breath, and leaned back in the comfortable sofa. She reached up, and rubbed her forehead. It still hurt like a bitch from the machine gun to the face incident.

Madeline took off her high heel shoes, staring down at the broken shoe regretfully. What was the point of high heels anyway? Disgusted, she tossed the shoes across the living room.

She was exhausted. Maybe she should just go into her bedroom and go to sleep.

Madeline shook her head rather violently. No. That was not an option. First of all, she was pretty sure she had a concussion, which meant she really should try to stay awake. Second of all, she had some seriously pressing issues that demanded she deal with them that very moment. Madeline reached into her skirt pocket and dug out the gold necklace Dr. Kadar had handed her. What was the big deal about this stupid thing anyway?

Frowning at the piece of jewelry in her hand, Madeline began to examine it for the first time. There was no denying that the necklace was very pretty, but that was hardly enough reason for all the fuss. It looked like it was made of solid gold, and was modeled after the wide choker style necklaces that Madeline had seen in the museum. As pretty as it was, it didn't look particularly valuable. There were no gems or stones inlaid in the gold. The only decoration visible on the necklace was several strange markings carved into the gold, traveling from clasp to clasp. They looked vaguely like hieroglyphs, which meant that Madeline had no hope of figuring out what they meant. If only Evie were here, then she'd have the markings deciphered in a matter of minutes.

Madeline perked suddenly. Maybe she didn't have her sister-in-law, but she _did_ have Dr. Kadar's notebook. Turning to the first page frantically, Madeline was quickly disappointed. For the first couple pages, all she found were hieroglyphs. Some of them looked like the markings on the necklaces, but others were completely new. Desperate, Madeline began turning the pages of the notebook frantically, until she finally came to a page with some writing on it that wasn't ancient Egyptian. Once again, her face fell. It appeared that Dr. Kadar had attempted to translate some of the markings, but he had done so in his native language: Arabic. Madeline could barely _speak_ Arabic – there was absolutely no way she could _read _it. This was just fantastic. Not only was she now in possession of some kind of crazy ancient artifact that some weirdo gunmen wanted to get their hands on like no other, she also had no way of figuring out _why_ they wanted it.

Except, of course for Jonathan. Jonathan may have abandoned his archeological career several years ago, but he had retained some of his knowledge of ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Even if he didn't remember enough to decipher the markings on the necklace, she knew that he had kept many of his old books, and the answers would probably be in there.

Evie, no doubt, would be a better choice of a translator, but Madeline was bound and determined not to bother her brother's family with her problems. Rick and Evie had a young son now, and they couldn't afford to be traipsing all over Egypt on some suicidal adventure. They had Alex to think of. Madeline wasn't going to put her family at risk like that. She was going to take care of things herself for once. No more relying on her older brother.

Madeline had to make a decision, and she had to make one fast. She didn't understand the hieroglyphs on the necklace, or the hieroglyphs copied on the pages of Dr. Kadar's notebook. The few translations he had written down were in Arabic, and as far as Madeline was concerned, the translations might as well have been written in hieroglyphs too. If she brought the necklace and the notebook to Jonathan, he might be able to figure out what was going on. But even if he did, what was Madeline supposed to do about it?

The necklace had been delivered to the museum by Ardeth. And now that Dr. Kadar was dead, and the museum probably in ashes, Madeline made her decision. She couldn't hold onto the necklace forever. Eventually, the attackers from the museum would track her down and try to take it away from her. The necklace had to be returned to the Med-jai, and that was that. Madeline would have to go back to Hamunaptra.

Determined, she got to her feet and stormed into her bedroom. She changed out of her office clothes and into something she hadn't worn in a long time: her old pants and boots. Then she dug her old knapsack out of the closet and yanked a large chest out from under her bed. She always knew there was a reason she'd saved this stuff.

From inside the chest, she removed her old rifle, and her pistols, which she strapped into her old holster belt. She tucked the rifle inside her knapsack, along with plenty of ammunition, and the few shotgun shells she had lying around from when Rick and she had shared an apartment on the other side of town. Then she packed a couple knives, and a few other necessities, strapped the bag on her back and hurried into the living room. She was packing up the notebook and the necklace when she heard it.

Someone was picking the lock on her front door. Madeline finished stuffing her bag, and then grabbed the stolen shotgun off the couch, rushing into her bedroom and locking the door behind her. Quickly, she loaded the shotgun with a few of Rick's old shells and cocked the gun, prepared to be attacked. A loud bang in the next room made it clear that whoever had been picking her lock had just been successful in breaking in.

Madeline slowly and silently opened her bedroom door a tiny crack. Two masked gunmen were creeping into her living room. She slid the shotgun between the door and the wall, and aimed it at the head of the nearest gunman. A squeeze of the trigger, and the shotgun fired, sending a single shell through his head.

The man collapsed to the ground. His companion turned towards the bedroom door and fired his machine gun without hesitation. Madeline slammed the door shut, locked it, and raced for the window, bullets whizzing through the wall and bouncing all around the room. She yanked the window open, leapt onto the windowsill and poked her head outside, only to have to duck very quickly to avoid a large gun being swung at her head. Another masked gunman clung to the ledge of the window above hers. Madeline ducked inside her apartment once again as the gunman outside her window dropped down onto the windowsill. He leapt inside her room, and Madeline pulled the trigger of her shotgun, killing him instantly.

Her bedroom door popped open, slamming into the wall beside it. Madeline whirled around, shotgun at the ready, as three men burst inside her room. One man fired a pistol, hitting her in the hands and knocking her weapon from her grasp. As she fumbled for her pistols, two of the gunmen raced towards her. Madeline stumbled backwards, but one of the men tackled her to the carpet. Struggling against him as he pinned her to the floor, she was just able to get her hands on one of her pistols. As the other two gunmen raced up to the two of them, Madeline managed to get a shot off in her assailant's gut. With a pained cry, he collapsed on top of her, and she shoved him off and onto the floor beside her. One of the other men leapt towards her, but she shot him as well, and kicked the other man back away from her. Madeline staggered to her feet before the only remaining attacker could act, and shot him in the head.

Taking a deep breath, she stooped and picked up her shotgun, holstering the pistol. Madeline surveyed the mess in her room. Making a disgusted face, she picked her way over to the bedroom door, but stopped in her tracks when she saw a whole slew of new gunmen storming into her apartment through the wide open front door. Madeline raced to her bedroom window once again and threw herself out of it, hitting the canopied market kiosk directly below the window. Amid several shots being fired out her bedroom window, she rolled over the edge of the canopy and hit the street with a heavy thud.

"Ow," she groaned. "That hurt." Several people in the street were staring at her. Madeline ignored them and looked up at her window. A few of the men in her apartment began exiting through the window as well. Madeline hauled herself to her feet and raced across the street and into an alleyway. She tore around the corner at the end of the alley and cut through the courtyard of another apartment complex. Shots rang out behind her. She darted down a second alleyway and ducked out onto a different street. A quick glance around told her that none of the gunmen were awaiting her – but the shots fired behind her made it clear they were still coming for her. A man in a covered cart drove by, and Madeline grabbed hold of the cart as he rumbled past, pulling herself inside, and ducking down among the cart's many crates and packages. The driver seemed not to notice, and a quick glance out the back of the cart assured Madeline that her pursuers – who had now come out of the alleyway – had no idea where she had disappeared to. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned back against the cloth covering over the wooden cart, and tried to relax. All she had to do now was get to Jonathan's apartment – he had probably stumbled back from the bar by now – and tell him what was going on. Then she could head out to Hamunaptra, hopefully with Jonathan by her side.

* * *

A short cart ride later, Madeline jumped from the back of the covered cart, landing in a heap on the dirty street. With a heavy sigh, she wincingly got to her feet, dusting herself off. She was outside The Drunken Scarab.

Not wanting to draw too much attention to herself by going in, Madeline instead attempted to walk stealthily down the alley beside it. She came upon the building's fire escape, and began pulling herself up to the third floor window overlooking the alleyway. A few minutes passed, and Madeline reached Jonathan's bedroom window.

She pounded loudly on the glass. There was no response. Madeline tried again, but still no one came. With a roll of her eyes, she attempted to open the window – and found it locked. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she began to pound mercilessly on the window, shouting, "JONATHAN! Jonathan, open this window! JONATHAN!"

Finally, a very disgruntled, sleepy-eyed, and half clothed Jonathan stumbled over to the window and slid it open. "Who the hell…?" He squinted and blinked at Madeline. "Maddie, old girl? What the blast are you doing out here?"

Madeline hopped inside the room. "Close the window," she ordered. "And put a shirt on!"

Jonathan grumbled under his breath, slamming the window closed and tottering over to the dresser as Madeline flicked on the lights. "Christ, Maddie, that's awful bright!" he exclaimed indignantly as he pulled a shirt on over his head. He blinked at her again. "Maddie… are you wearing pants?"

"Yes," Madeline returned, crossing her arms in front of her chest as if daring him to say anything else.

"Oh, bloody hell," Jonathan groaned, scratching at his tousled hair. "She's relapsed."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Jonathan, would you get with it, please? We have a problem."

She stormed into the living room. Jonathan followed her, still grumbling. "Are you sure _we_ have a problem?" he asked as she turned on a lamp. "Are you sure it's not just _you_ who has a problem?"

"Remember that necklace I told you about?" she asked. "The one Ardeth brought to the museum yesterday?"

Jonathan yawned, nodding as he strode over to the bar and began pouring himself a scotch. "Rings a bell. You want some?"

"Sure," Madeline replied briskly before going on with her explanation. "Well, a whole bunch of people broke into the museum tonight and tried to steal it. Thanks."

She accepted the scotch Jonathan offered her and threw it back like it was a shot of whiskey. "Cor, woman, you can't drink it like that!" he exclaimed. Then he frowned. "Bloody hell, Maddie, what happened to your face?"

Madeline frowned momentarily before remembering being hit in the face with a machine gun earlier that night. "Oh, right. Got hit fighting off thieves."

"That looks terrible…"

"Jonathan, focus!" Madeline interrupted. "Look, Dr. Kadar is dead. He was shot. They… they killed him."

She swallowed hard. Jonathan eyed her warily. "You're not going to cry, are you?" he asked.

Madeline glared at him. "No. I'm not. And you're a jackass. Anyway, before he died, he gave me this."

She pulled the necklace from her pants pocket. Jonathan's jaw dropped. "Maddie, your hand!"

Madeline looked down at her right hand. It was bleeding from when she'd been shot in her apartment. "Oh, right," she said. "Don't worry; it's not as bad as it looks."

Jonathan scoffed, disappearing down the hall. She heard him rummaging in his bathroom for a few moments, and then he reappeared with bandages and antiseptic. "Here," he said, attempting to clean the spot where the bullet had grazed her hand. Madeline rolled her eyes, and snatched the medical supplies from him.

"I'll do it myself," she announced, tossing the necklace at him. Jonathan caught it instinctively, and was immediately distracted by the jewelry in his hand.

"Cor, is that real gold?" He examined it in the light of the lamp. "Blast, Maddie, there aren't even any jewels on it or anything! Why the hell are you carrying _this_ around?"

She rolled her eyes as she bandaged the small wound on her hand. "Look, Jonathan. It's got hieroglyphs on it."

"So what?"

"So, what do they say? Goddamn it, Jonathan, it's like talking to a wall!"

Jonathan squinted at the necklace. "Hmmm… well, this little mark in the front looks like a cartouche of some kind, but I couldn't tell you whose… and that looks like 'snake,' maybe… I don't know, Maddie, I'm a tad rusty! Why do you want to know?"

Madeline sighed. "Because it'd be nice to know exactly _what_ my boss just died for!"

Jonathan looked ashamed. Madeline stared down at the floor, blinking hard. Jonathan grasped her shoulder, attempting to be comforting. "I'm sorry, Maddie," he murmured. "I know you really liked Dr. Kadar."

Madeline turned from him, trying not to cry. "It's fine, Jonathan. Look, I have the necklace, and I have Dr. Kadar's research. I have no idea what any of it means, but… I think I'm in trouble, Jonathan. They followed me to my apartment, shot the place up…"

"Are you all right?" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Madeline replied. "But they're going to keep looking for me until they find the necklace – and I don't know _why_ they want it, but I know I can't let them get it."

Jonathan nodded, starting to look as determined as she felt. "Right. I concur. What's the plan?"

"The Med-jai brought the necklace to the museum because they thought it'd be safe there," Madeline said. "They were obviously wrong. I think… I think we have to return the necklace to Ardeth."

Jonathan's expression became pained. "Return the necklace to Ardeth?" he asked. "But… but that means…"

"Yep," Madeline interrupted. "We have to go back to Hamunaptra."

Jonathan groaned. "And this is our _only_ option? Are you sure?"

"Jonathan…"

"All right, all right," Jonathan took a long sip from his scotch glass. "Hamunaptra it is. We'll leave in the morning on the next boat out. Happy now?"

Madeline grinned, and gave Jonathan a loving punch in the arm. He winced. "Thanks, Jonathan," she said.

He shrugged, taking another sip of scotch. "What are friends for?"

* * *


	5. The Worst Boat Ride Ever

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thank yous to Lucky Fannah, marimo head's lover, RopedMeASparrow, LadySoftball, Makayla, pirate hero, and Typhoid-Candy for the reviews! It was great hearing from you.

* * *

Chapter 5: The Worst Boat Ride Ever

Late the next morning at Giza Port, Madeline stomped up the gangplank of the riverboat, hauling both her knapsack and Jonathan's bag. Jonathan was walking up ahead of her with the tickets, which he quickly exchanged for a room key. She glared at his back, but he paid her and her load no mind.

"Beautiful day, Maddie, wouldn't you agree?" he asked, pausing on deck to breathe in the air. Madeline rolled her eyes.

"Maybe for you," she grumbled. "As your pack mule, however, I'm not so sure I agree."

"Well, I am sorry, Maddie, but I thought it'd be a shame to put those muscles to waste."

Madeline sent him an icy glare. Jonathan took his bag from her hand, looking rather nervous. "Point taken," he announced, leading the way to their stateroom. "You know, we ought to do something about that bruise on your forehead. People are going to think I beat you up."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, they will not."

"Yes, they will, they're already starting to stare!"

"They're staring because I look like a weirdo!"

"Then why are all these old ladies giving me nasty looks?"

Madeline huffed. "Jonathan, no one is giving you any nasty looks! You know, except for me."

He grumbled in reply, but pressed on to their room. After fighting their way through the crowded halls, they finally stumbled upon their door, and Jonathan unlocked it. The two of them fairly ran inside and slammed the door behind them, anxious to shut out the noise and confusion of the hallway.

"Cor, there's a hell of a lot of people on this bloody boat!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"Tell me about it," Madeline grunted. However, despite the crowd, their room was actually a decent size, compared to the shoebox she'd shared with her older brother on her first trip to Hamunaptra. There were two beds and a tiny bathroom, and a small sitting area. The bunks even had curtains around them. Madeline was impressed. "This room isn't so bad," she announced.

"Your welcome," Jonathan sniffed importantly. "If there's one thing I know, it's getting the best of everything."

She rolled her eyes. "That wasn't meant as an opportunity for you to show off," she retorted. She tossed her knapsack on the nearest bunk and began unpacking her weapons. Jonathan's eyes widened.

"I swear," he announced. "You O'Connells are the most violent people I've ever met, and that includes those dimwitted American cowboys from the last trip to Hamunaptra. Why you always feel the need to bring so many bloody weapons with you _everywhere_ you go is beyond me."

"I believe in being prepared," Madeline returned as she clicked two pieces of her rifle together. Then she froze and sent a horrified look at Jonathan, who met her gaze with a shocked expression of his own. "Did I just quote my brother?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm afraid you did."

Madeline sighed, and finished piecing together her rifle. "Crap. I'm turning into Rick. I _really_ don't want to be Rick."

Jonathan snorted, rifling through his own luggage. He drew a bottle of scotch from his bag. "Ah, hello lover," he said, holding the bottle up in reverence. Madeline rolled her eyes.

"You have a problem."

He scoffed. "Says the whiskey addict. Who, I believe, threw up in her purse just last week."

Madeline looked abashed. "Shut up, Jonathan."

Her friend strolled over to the tiny window in the room, and propped it open. "That's better," he said, looking out the window with a smile on his face and his hands on his hips. "You know, the Nile's so much prettier when no one's trying to kill me."

"Yeah, don't count on that lasting very long," Madeline replied.

He sighed heavily. "Don't remind me."

Madeline dug out the necklace and the notebook. "Do you want to have another look at these?" she asked. "You know, now that you're not half asleep and totally hungover?"

"Actually, I really would rather _not _have another look at those."

"Jonathan…"

"All right, all right!" He sauntered over to her bunk and sat down on it, taking the articles in question. There was a deep frown on his face as he turned the necklace around in his hands, contemplating the hieroglyphs carved into the gold. She sat beside him, staring over his shoulder at the necklace. After a few moments, Madeline could no longer contain her curiosity.

"Well?" she prompted him impatiently.

"Christ, woman, hold your horses! It's not like reading English, you know! Hell, it's not even like reading French or something else European. Just wait one moment, _please_!"

Madeline sighed harshly, clearly annoyed. Jonathan ignored her and frowned at the necklace. "I'll be honest with you, Maddie," he murmured after a few minutes. "I do not remember a thing from the University."

"Are you serious?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "Sorry, Maddie. Look, this thing in front is a cartouche, I'm certain, but I have no idea whose. Honestly, I'm not sure even Evie would be able to tell you. It's very strange, but it doesn't even look familiar to me. I'm not sure I've ever seen it before."

"Well, that's helpful," Madeline muttered.

"A little respect would be nice! Now, where was I? Oh, yes. This group of markings means snake, I'm positive, but this one beside it I'm not sure of. In fact, the two closest to the clasp on this side completely throw me."

"It looks like there are seven little groups of markings on this side of the cartouche," Madeline observed, examining the jewelry in his hands.

Jonathan frowned at her, surprised. "Actually, yes. That's right. Good job, Maddie."

She couldn't help the tiny rush of pride she felt at hearing that. "What else?" she asked.

"Well, the other side's a bit more complicated," Jonathan announced. "I'm not sure what most of them mean, but this one by the other clasp looks rather familiar. Actually, I think it _might_ be 'resurrection,' but I'm not sure."

"Resurrection?" Madeline repeated. "Goddamn it, that never works out well for us."

"Tell me about it," he agreed, still frowning at the necklace. "That's all I can really make out."

"Look at the notebook," Madeline ordered him.

Jonathan gave her an irritated look. "You can be so bloody bossy!" he snapped. Despite this, he handed the necklace back to her and opened up the notebook. He leafed through the hieroglyphics until he found the translations. "I can't read these," he cried. "They're all in Arabic. I can barely _speak_ Arabic! I most certainly cannot read it!"

"Join the club," Madeline replied gloomily. "Oh, well. Maybe Ardeth will know what these things mean."

"Oh, yes, sure, because Ardeth's just so bloody perfect and amazing at everything."

Madeline blinked in surprise. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you have the absolute worst and most disgusting little puppy dog crush on that man that I have ever seen," Jonathan returned. Madeline would have been offended, but he spoke in his usual joking manner, so she didn't take it too personally. "And I am sorry, Maddie, but no matter how stunningly handsome _you_ may find him, that doesn't make him perfect."

"Well, no one said he was," Madeline replied, rather flustered. "And… and I will… I will have you know that… that I do _not_ find him… find him _stunningly handsome_. I have never said that! I wouldn't say that!"

Jonathan snorted with laughter at this. "Oh, sure, because that was _so _very convincing."

"I hate you," Madeline sniped. "Now, go back to the front of the notebook and try to figure out what those hieroglyphs mean."

"But Maddie…!"

"Just do it! Please?"

Jonathan sighed heavily, but complied with her request. "Oh, hell's teeth, I don't know what these mean."

"You didn't even try!"

"Maddie, come on! It's sunny and warm outside, and I want to…"

"It's always sunny and warm outside, Jonathan. We live in Egypt!"

"Well, yes, but I don't have to work, and you don't have to work…"

"Yes, because the place I work at was completely destroyed, thank you very much!"

"Well, the point remains that neither one of us is working, and it's a beautiful day, and we're on a boat on the Nile, and maybe we should just go up on deck and have a little something to drink."

Madeline narrowed her eyes at him. "Is that all you ever think about?"

"No!" he protested. "Only most of the time!"

She continued to frown at him, and then suddenly laughed. For some reason, no matter what the circumstance, nothing would ever allow her to remain angry with Jonathan. "All right," she agreed. "Let's go get a little something to drink."

"Yes!" he cried in celebration, tossing the notebook on the bunk and practically leaping to his feet. "Let's go, get up!"

Madeline rolled her eyes, standing as well. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

Jonathan led the way out of the stateroom. Madeline cast one last longing and yet concerned look at the notebook on the bed – she'd tucked the necklace safe inside her pants pocket – and then followed Jonathan to the bar.

* * *

Madeline's eyes flew open. She'd been in a sound, slightly intoxicated sleep, but had awoken instantly at hearing a small sound. At least, she thought she'd heard a sound. Now that she was awake, she could see nothing but darkness, and hear nothing but Jonathan's loud snoring.

Fantastic. He was snoring. She'd never get back to sleep now. Rolling her eyes, Madeline rolled over on her side, facing the wall. Her and Jonathan had spent the entire afternoon at the bar, and passed out rather early in the evening. She wished she was still drunk – at least then it would be easy to get back to sleep.

There was a slight creak. Madeline tensed. She was being ridiculous, she knew. It was a boat, and a rather old one at that. Boats creaked. Still, after being attacked twice within a span of only twenty-four hours, one could hardly blame her for being nervous.

She heard a slight rustling sound. Instinctively, she reached under her pillow and grabbed a hold of the knife she'd stashed there. The rustling noise was nothing, she was sure – but holding the knife was reassuring none the less.

There was silence for a moment. Then a sliver of moonlight fell onto her bunk as the curtains around her bed were drawn back. Madeline froze, her grip on the knife tightening. She slowly slid her other hand under the pillow and grasped the necklace as well (she had also hidden the necklace under there). She could actually _feel_ the presence of the person standing over her. Suddenly, a large, calloused hand closed over her mouth, and she was grabbed roughly by the arm. Madeline yanked the knife out from under the pillow and propelled it into the face of her attacker. The man let go of her rather suddenly and gave a cry of pain.

She heard Jonathan sit up in bed. "What the bloody hell…?"

Madeline kicked the man standing over her bed in the gut, sending him stumbling backwards. Then she leapt to her feet as he raced towards her in a fury, hollering in anger and pain. She met his chest with the blade of her knife and sent it deep into his flesh. The man made a choking noise and then collapsed to the floor.

Suddenly, the room was full of light. She turned to Jonathan, who was only half clothed and standing by the kerosene lamp with a match in his hand. He stared in horror at the body on the floor. Madeline turned to look as well, and saw a man dressed very much like the masked gunmen from Cairo lying on their floor in a pool of blood, quite dead. She wiped the blade on the curtains around her bed.

"What… what… what…" Whatever Jonathan wanted to say, he was having a very hard time spitting out.

Suddenly, both Madeline and Jonathan became aware of loud shouting and gunfire from outside on deck. Madeline took a whiff of the air around her, and smelled smoke.

"Oh, bloody hell," Jonathan groaned, holding his forehead in his hand. "Every bloody time I get on a boat…"

"Get dressed!" Madeline snapped, quickly changing back into her pants and her boots. Jonathan, to his credit, was so busy putting on his own clothes that he quite forgot to sneak a peak at her.

They grabbed their bags, and Madeline double checked to make sure she had both the necklace and the notebook. Assuaged, she grabbed the loaded rifle from the corner by her bed and rushed towards the door, Jonathan on her heels. He had drawn his own small handgun that he carried around Egypt.

The two of them raced through the halls, passing panicked passengers running around the ship in terror and confusion. Madeline and Jonathan fought their way up on deck, and saw, to their dismay, that the ship was very much on fire. It was only a matter of time before it sank right to the bottom of the Nile.

"Maddie, watch out!"

Madeline turned to see a masked man rushing towards her. She fired her rifle, shooting him in the head. The man fell to the deck, dead. "Let's get the hell out of here!" Madeline exclaimed, heading towards the railing. Jonathan followed.

A very large fist made crushing impact with her face. Madeline fell to the ground, and her attacker grabbed her arm in an attempt to drag her off. A loud shot went off and a smoking hole appeared in the man's head. He fell to the deck.

Madeline looked up at Jonathan, who was holding his gun like he thought he was some kind of superhero. "Thanks," she said.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I think he broke my nose," Madeline replied, clutching the injured appendage. "But that's all right. It was ugly anyway."

Jonathan chuckled, and hauled her to her feet. "Cor, woman, your face is going to look a bloody mess before all this is through."

"Awesome," she replied. Then her eyes widened and she cried, "Jonathan, look out!"

Suddenly, Jonathan was yanked sideways and pinned to the railing. Madeline fired her rifle into the man's back, and he toppled sideways, letting go of Jonathan, who stared down at the body in shock. "I want off this boat, now!" he shouted.

"I'm with you, buddy," Madeline agreed. "Time to jump!"

She rushed to the railing as Jonathan vaulted over it and disappeared into the river below. Madeline followed only moments later.

After fighting the current for several minutes, Madeline and Jonathan dragged themselves onto the riverbank, accompanied by most of the passengers from the boat. For a moment, they just sat there sopping wet and stared at the sinking, burning boat, trying to catch their breath.

Pulling her dripping hair out of her face, Madeline looked over at Jonathan. He spat out a stream of water and then met her eyes as well. "I hate Egypt," he announced.

"I'm starting to," Madeline replied.

"Well, the boat's gone," he went on. "You know what that means."

She winced. "Camels?"

"Camels."

Madeline sighed. "I hate camels."

* * *


	6. The Oh So Very Friendly Medjai

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to marimo head's lover, RopedMeASparrow, LadySoftball, Typhoid-Candy, danielle, Makayla, and Music is my Muse for the reviews! Love hearing from you! Enjoy chapter 6.

* * *

Chapter 6: The Oh So Very Friendly Med-jai

Madeline didn't want to think about what it had taken to get where she was. After the boat had sunk, she, Jonathan, and the other survivors had found refuge for the night in a small village by the river. The next morning, Jonathan had purchased two camels – after a very loud, argumentative haggling scene that unfortunately very much resembled the _last_ time he'd tried to buy camels for a trip out to Hamunaptra. After finally settling on what had seemed like a fair price to Madeline – although Jonathan had heartily disagreed – they'd saddled up and rode out towards Hamunaptra.

Her nose was still sore, but thankfully it wasn't broken. However, she by now she was sun burnt, and her stupid camel had been nothing but tempestuous since the moment she'd gotten on it – which had been almost two days ago.

"Are you sure you remember where the city is?" Jonathan whined from beside her. Madeline sighed in annoyance.

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied. "I mean… I think I am."

Jonathan snorted. "Oh, well, _that's_ comforting."

"Well, Jonathan, I'm sorry," she snapped. "But it's a little difficult to find something that's hidden under the sand! Ok?"

"Hey," he said suddenly. "What's that over there?"

Madeline followed his finger and frowned at what Jonathan was pointing to. Although it was mostly a heap of sand, there appeared to be some sort of debris lying around as well. "Holy shit," Madeline said. "Is that it?"

"I don't know what else it would be!"

Madeline urged her camel towards the spot, which it grudgingly walked to. Jonathan followed her. "So what exactly is the plan?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?" Jonathan returned. "What are we going to do, just hang around Hamunaptra until the Med-jai decided to pop by?"

"Well… actually…"

"Are you bloody kidding me?" Jonathan exclaimed. "_That's_ the plan?"

"Well, I don't know, Jonathan!" Madeline cried. "It's not like I _know_ where their camp is! I don't know what else to do!"

"Oh, well this is just bloody brilliant!"

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm sorry, Jonathan, but…"

"Cor, there's nothing left!"

Madeline stopped midsentence, surveying the sight before her. They had reached the site where the ancient city had once laid, and Jonathan was exactly right: there was nothing left. "Whoa," she said.

There was nothing but sand, and a few broken pillars. Madeline let out a heavy breath, blowing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Well…" she said. "I guess we'll just have to wait."

"I don't think we'll have to wait very long," Jonathan replied.

Madeline turned to him with a frown. "What do you mean?"

His only response was to point. Madeline looked off into the horizon. A large group of horsemen, starkly dark against the lighter landscape, was riding furiously towards her and Jonathan, sand billowing all around their horses' hooves.

"Oh," Madeline murmured. "Good."

"Don't be so sure," Jonathan retorted.

In a matter of minutes, the horsemen had approached them. They wore long black robes and had tattoos on their faces. They had found the Med-jai.

One of the men, who Madeline took to be their leader, spoke harshly in Arabic. She listened as carefully as she could, trying to piece together what he was saying. Frowning, she asked, in poor Arabic, for clarification.

The men on their horses exchanged looks. Jonathan began to shift nervously on top of his camel. The man repeated himself. Madeline, searching for her words, attempted to say something like, "We aren't here for the city. We're here to speak to your chieftain."

She was interrupted by angry Arabic. The man practically yelled something about not defiling sacred ground. Madeline bit her lip. This was not going well. She wished she could speak better Arabic.

Jonathan gave her a rather panicked look. Madeline tried to explain again, but the man ignored her and hollered at his comrades. Suddenly, a few of the men around her and Jonathan dismounted and approached their camels. Both camels started prancing about nervously. "Uh, Maddie?" Jonathan said, sounding panicked. "This doesn't seem to be going the way we had planned!"

Madeline attempted once again to explain the situation in Arabic, but was ignored. The Med-jai men yanked both her and Jonathan off their horses and wrestled them to the ground. "Oh, fantastic!" Jonathan shouted. "What the bloody hell do we do now?"

Madeline spoke up in Arabic, but they laughed at her. Finally, one man's horse stepped out farther than the others. The look of respect that the others immediately gave him made Madeline rethink her conclusion on who was actually in charge.

"Stop embarrassing yourself," he announced in English.

Madeline frowned at him. There was something familiar about this man. But before she could decide exactly what it was that was so familiar about him, she was interrupted by him speaking once again.

"Now, what is it you are trying to say?" he asked, sounding rather disdainful.

"Uh…" Madeline swallowed and tried to ignore the fact that this man was actually quite attractive. She closed her eyes. Ah. That was better. "Uh… look, we didn't come here to… to… _defile_ Hamunaptra or anything like that. We know _all_ about the creature and everything, and trust me: we don't want _any_ part of _that_ mess. We came here to see your chieftain."

"My chieftain?" he repeated, his voice dangerously low.

"Yeah," Madeline agreed. "Chieftain Bay. I… he's… we know one another. He came to Cairo only a few days ago and dropped something off that needs to be returned to him."

The man dismounted and took a few threatening steps toward her. "What is this 'something' that you speak of?"

Madeline frowned up at him. She supposed the intelligent thing to do would be to tell him, but something stopped her. How could she be sure this man was trustworthy?

"It's just… it's just something," she replied. "Chieftain Bay will be glad to have it back. Please, take us to him."

The man stared down at her. Madeline swallowed hard. He didn't look particularly inclined to take her part. Jonathan sent her a look that quite clearly said, 'If they kill me, I will kill you.' Finally, the man spoke again. "You want to be taken to see the chieftain? All right, then. Fine. You will be taken to see the chieftain – as prisoners." Then he yelled at his men in Arabic and mounted his horse once again.

The men holding Madeline down tied her arms behind her back. She looked over at Jonathan and saw that the same was being down to him. He glowered at her. "I am _so_ glad I came out on this suicide mission!" he shouted at her.

Madeline winced. "Sorry, Jonathan."

Those were the last words they spoke to one another. A cloth was tied around her eyes, casting her into darkness. Then she felt herself lifted from the ground onto a horse, which quickly galloped away.

* * *

Madeline had no idea how long they had been riding or where they were, but she did know they had finally come to a stop. Moments after the horse she was on had halted, she was yanked forcefully down into the dirt. She had no sooner hit the ground, but she was jerked back to her feet and dragged through the sand. Then, suddenly, she was thrown to her knees and the blindfold yanked from her face. Looking up, she found herself staring at a dark tent, which was surrounded by other tents just like it. From within the tent emerged a young woman in long robes, with her hair and face covered with a dark veil. All Madeline saw was her eyes. Then, emerging from behind the young woman was none other than Ardeth Bay himself.

That was all Madeline got to see before she was forced face first back into the dirt.

"Yasir," she heard Ardeth say. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I am sorry to disturb you, my brother," Yasir replied. Madeline suddenly realized why he had looked so familiar to her: he greatly resembled Ardeth. "But these two were found sneaking about Hamunaptra. They claim to know you."

"Know me?" Ardeth asked.

"Yes," Yasir said. "Do you know them?"

Madeline was yanked up by her hair to look at Ardeth. His eyes fell on her, and his face was masked with pure shock. "Hello, there," she greeted him with a rather sheepish smile.

"Madeline?" he exclaimed, quickly approaching her. "Let her go," he demanded in Arabic. Her captor dropped her into the sand as Ardeth kneeled beside her. Ardeth himself sliced through the ropes binding her arms. "Are you all right?" he asked, helping her sit up.

Madeline nodded. "Uh-huh," she replied. Casting a look over at Jonathan, who was still being restrained, she said, "Could you maybe get your friends to, uh… let go of Jonathan? I think he's running out of air."

Ardeth looked over at Jonathan in surprise. "Yes, of course," he said to her before calling to his men in Arabic to release the Englishman. They complied with his request.

"Thank you!" Jonathan exclaimed, sounding quite irritated. "God, the way you all treat people out here!"

"I am sorry, my friend," Ardeth replied. He called to the woman in Arabic, asking for water. She nodded and disappeared behind the tent.

"You know these people?" Yasir demanded.

Ardeth looked up at his brother and nodded. "Yes. They are old friends." He turned back to Madeline. "What are you doing out here?"

"Long story," she returned. Suddenly, the woman reappeared with water. Madeline accepted the drink gratefully, gulping it down. Meeting the woman's gaze, Madeline was startled by the striking beauty in her big brown eyes.

It may have been her imagination, but Madeline thought she saw a bit of a smile in those eyes. Then the woman moved onto Jonathan and offered him water as well.

"She said she had something that belonged to you," Yasir pushed on. He seemed to have made up his mind to dislike Madeline and Jonathan no matter what.

Ardeth frowned at her. "You have something that belongs to me?"

Madeline looked rather nervous as she reached into her pocket. "Yeah, sort of..." she murmured. "It's, uh… well, I think you left it at the museum the other day."

She drew the necklace out of her pants pocket and held it out to Ardeth. His eyes went wide, and he looked at her with horror. "You have the necklace?" he exclaimed.

Madeline nodded.

The horrified look on his face persisted. "Then Ajwad…?"

"Dr. Kadar…" Madeline's voice caught. Swallowing hard, blinking, and clearing her throat, she continued, "Dr. Kadar is… is dead. I'm sorry, Ardeth."

Ardeth looked down at the ground, clearly disturbed by the news. Almost absentmindedly, he took the necklace from her hand and fingered it thoughtfully for a moment. Madeline shifted uncomfortably in the sand. It had suddenly dawned on her exactly how close to the Med-jai chieftain she was sitting.

"What happened?" he asked.

"The museum was attacked the night after you left," Madeline explained. "They… they were after the necklace. Dr. Kadar gave it to me after he was shot. I didn't know what else to do, so… here I am. I figured you'd want it back."

"Yes," Ardeth murmured distractedly. "Yes, I did. Thank you, Madeline."

He slowly got to his feet. "Nasira," he said to the young woman giving Jonathan water. "Take Madeline to your tent. Jonathan, you can stay in mine. Yasir, we must hold a council meeting. Come."

He made to walk away, but Madeline simply couldn't leave it at that. "Wait," she exclaimed. "Aren't you going to tell me what's going on?"

Ardeth looked back at her. For a moment, Madeline thought he was going to tell her. Then his brother spoke up.

"Ardeth," he murmured. "The council…."

And then the moment was over. Ardeth's face closed. "You are better off not knowing," he announced. Then he and Yasir walked away.

Madeline frowned after them. She was extremely annoyed. That stupid necklace had nearly gotten her killed about three times already, and she wanted to know why.

"Madeline?"

She looked up at the young woman, who had voiced her name rather uncertainly. "Yes," she murmured. "Nasira?"

She nodded. "Come with me."

At least she spoke English, Madeline thought to herself.

Nasira looked at Jonathan. "Mr. uh…."

"Jonathan, luv," he replied. "Just call me Jonathan."

"Jonathan," she said, more confidently this time. "You may go inside this tent here, and sit down. One of the men will bring you water, and some food."

Jonathan looked over at Madeline, clearly uncomfortable at the prospect of being separated. "I am sorry," Nasira said, as though she could read Jonathan's mind. "But men and women stay in separate tents."

Giving up, Jonathan nodded and attempted a charming smile. "Well, all right then. Lovely to meet you, Nasira, darling. Maddie, I'll see you soon."

Jonathan disappeared inside the tent. "Are you ready?" Nasira asked Madeline.

Madeline nodded, trying to smile. She got up off the ground and followed the woman to her tent. Inside, Nasira motioned for Madeline to sit down.

She went about laying out some food. "Are you Madeline _O'Connell_?" she asked.

Madeline's head snapped up in interest. "Yeah," she said. "Yeah, that's me. How did you know?"

Nasira seemed to smile, although Madeline couldn't be sure due to her face covering. "My brother has mentioned you before," she announced. "You were one of the people who helped him stop the creature."

Madeline started. "Ardeth's your brother?" she asked.

She nodded. "Yes," she replied.

Madeline felt a little overwhelmed. It became quite obvious to her all of a sudden how very little she knew about Ardeth. She had never known that he had a sister, or a brother for that matter. In all honesty, she had never considered that Ardeth might have family for her to know about.

"So, uh…" Madeline fished about for something to say. Nasira watched her with her big brown eyes. Madeline paused momentarily, surprised. They were Ardeth's eyes. "What do you know about this necklace thing?"

Nasira had finished what she was doing, and offered Madeline some food. She accepted it with a murmured 'thank you.' Her companion answered her question with, "I do not know much. Ardeth does not like to tell me things. All I know is that this necklace is the cursed Necklace of Nitocris, the first female pharaoh. And recently, someone has been after it. That is why Ardeth removed it from it's hiding place and left it with Ajwad Kadar."

"What exactly is the curse on the necklace?" Madeline asked curiously.

Nasira shrugged. "That I do not know."

Madeline was beyond curious. Before this whole thing had started, she had never realized that the Med-jai were responsible for protecting anything except Hamunaptra. Curious, she asked, "Where was the necklace hidden?"

Nasira was preoccupied with removing the scarf the covered her face, while still keeping her hair covered. Laying the scarf on the ground beside her, she looked up at Madeline, startled by the question. Madeline found herself equally startled. Nasira was – there was no other way to describe her – stunningly beautiful. She couldn't be more than sixteen or seventeen years old, and she had a surprisingly smooth complexion for someone who lived in the middle of the desert. Madeline had already admired the girl's beautiful brown eyes, and her short, petite frame, but now that she had a view of the girl's entire face, she found herself positively envious. She was reminded of when she had first seen her sister-in-law with her hair down and her spectacles discarded. The jealousy she'd felt at Evie's beauty was manifested once again in the envy she now felt at Nasira's.

However, Nasira had been nothing but nice since Madeline had met her, so she attempted to push aside the envy and smile. Nasira apparently decided that Madeline was trustworthy, because she also smiled and said, "The necklace used to be hidden at one of the temples at Luxor. Our cousin, Chief Abdul-Sattar, and his tribe were in charge of guarding it. But many archeologists began digging out at Luxor, so my cousin took the necklace from the temple and kept it at his camp. The whole thing is rather confusing, actually. From what I understand, the tombs and temples of Luxor were not built until quite some time after the death of Pharaoh Nitocris. The elders believe the necklace must have been passed down from pharaoh to pharaoh until one of them got nervous enough about the curse to have it buried with them."

Nasira paused for breath, and then continued with, "The necklace was safe under my cousin's protection until only recently. Then the robbery attempts began at his camp, and my brother took the necklace to Cairo, hoping it would be safe with Ajwad Kadar. Ajwad was studying the curse on the necklace in hopes of figuring out why it was so feared. His death is a… well, it is a great loss."

Madeline looked down at her hands. She understood the girl's sudden sadness. "He was my boss. I worked at the museum," she said. "I'm very sorry. He… he meant a lot to me too."

Nasira smiled gratefully. Madeline fell quiet. Then, not being able to help herself, she asked, "So, uh… your brother's mentioned me?"

Nasira smiled rather slyly. "Yes," she murmured, sounding amused. "He has mentioned you. And your friend, and your brother, and his wife. He said good things about you all."

"Oh," Madeline replied, attempting to sound uninterested. "That's… that's nice."

Nasira's sly smile widened. Madeline ignored her. She didn't particularly care for the teenager's grin – it seemed to say that she didn't buy Madeline's little 'I'm not interested' act for a moment. "Would you like to know what he said?" she asked.

"Oh, well, um… sure, why not?" Madeline replied, still attempting to sound uninterested – and still failing.

"He said your older brother was very brave, and an excellent fighter. And your sister-in-law was very smart, and very determined – although, a little bossy. And your friend, Jonathan – Ardeth said he was very amusing, but not nearly as brave as your brother. Actually, Ardeth like him better for it. He respected him for going through with the fight even though he was afraid to."

Madeline nodded, trying not to look impatient to hear what Ardeth had said about her. Nasira's smile grew. "Do you want to hear what he said about you?"

There was gentle teasing in Nasira's voice. Something about it reminded Madeline of the gentle sarcasm that she occasionally heard in Ardeth's voice. Madeline shrugged, and tried to appear neutral. "Sure," she said, rather too eagerly. "I mean… yeah, why not?"

Ardeth's sister looked quite amused by this point. "He said you were very funny," she announced. "You made him laugh. And he thought you were very brave. He said you saved his life."

Madeline flushed despite herself. "Oh, no," she half-laughed, shaking her head. "He's exaggerating. I didn't really do anything."

Nasira watched her carefully. Madeline shifted uncomfortably under the other woman's gaze. Nasira's smile returned. "He also said you were very pretty," she announced.

Madeline rather jumped. "No, he didn't!" she exclaimed. "He… I don't believe you."

She laughed. Her laughter was rather soft and tinkling. Madeline wished she could laugh that delicately. "Yes, he did," she insisted. "He said you were pretty. That you had a sweet smile, and beautiful blue eyes."

Madeline blushed furiously. "Yeah, right. That's… that's… you're funny."

Nasira's smile widened, and Madeline saw the slyness return. "He also said you did not take compliments very well," she announced. "I see he was right."

* * *


	7. The Stay at the Medjai Camp

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Sorry this took so much longer than usual! I just finished finals, and they were murder. On the bright side, I have _so_ much more time to write now. A big thank you as well as an apology to my reviewers: LadySoftball, RopedMeASparrow, marimo head's lover, Typhoid-Candy, Makayla, pirate hero, Misplaced Angel, Nelle07, and Ravenclaw Samurai! Thanks again.

* * *

Chapter 7: The Stay at the Med-jai Camp

Ardeth and his brother had been gone for a very long time. At first, Madeline had spent her afternoon in the tent with Nasira wondering what the hell was taking him so long. She was more than anxious to find out what was going on. As she waited, she attempted to help Nasira with some of her chores, but soon found she wasn't very good at anything the girl needed done. Nasira began giving her very simple tasks instead. Surprisingly, Madeline's bumbling presence didn't seem to bother the young girl in the least. Actually, she appeared to enjoy the other woman's company.

Before long, Nasira began asking her questions about Cairo. She seemed genuinely curious about the city. "Do you like Cairo?" she asked.

Madeline was rather surprised by the question. "Oh, well… yeah, I guess so," she replied. "It's all right."

"Are there lots of prostitutes?" Nasira asked eagerly.

Madeline looked at her like she was crazy. "What?"

Nasira looked momentarily abashed. "Yasir always tells me the streets of Cairo are crawling with prostitutes," she said.

"Oh," Madeline murmured. "Um… well, yeah, I guess there _are_ a lot of prostitutes in Cairo. But they're not really in the streets so much as they are in the bars and the brothels."

"Brothels?" Madeline nodded. "What is a brothel like?" Nasira wanted to know.

"I don't know!" Madeline exclaimed. She wasn't quite sure how to take that question. "I've never been inside a brothel! Why would I have been inside a brothel?"

Nasira hung her head. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to offend," she returned apologetically. "It is just that I have never been to Cairo. I have never really been anywhere outside this camp."

Madeline felt a little sorry for the girl. "Well, if you really want to know what a brothel is like, you should probably ask Jonathan," she said.

"Jonathan has been in a brothel?"

"Probably," Madeline replied. "Jonathan's been in a lot of places he shouldn't have been."

Nasira laughed. "Did you like working at the museum?" she asked.

Madeline nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah, actually. I loved it."

"I wish I could go to the museum," Nasira murmured wistfully. "I wish I could go to Cairo. You are so lucky, Madeline."

Madeline blinked. She was almost postive no one had ever said that to her before. "I'm sorry?"

"You're very lucky," Nasira repeated. "You get to go anywhere you want, and have all kinds of adventures. I wish I could do that."

"Trust me, it's not as glamorous as it sounds," Madeline replied. "You don't want to be me, honestly. My life is… well, mostly my life is really weird."

The other girl laughed again. "Yes, well, I would take weird over boring. My life is mostly boring." She fell quite for a moment, and then brightened. "Once, I went out to Hamunaptra," she announced.

"Really?"

"Yes," Nasira grinned. "One time, when my father was still alive, he and Ardeth and Yasir went out to the city, and I stole some of his old robes and disguised myself as a warrior. Then I took my mother's horse and rode out with the other men. No one ever found out." Suddenly, she frowned. "Actually, if you could…"

"Not tell Ardeth or Yasir?" Madeline interrupted with a smirk. "Don't worry, I understand. Your secret's safe with me."

Nasira smiled gratefully. "It was not as much fun as I had hoped it would be," she went on. "But I suppose it would have been different if there had been visitors. Then perhaps I would have witnessed a battle or something like that."

It was all Madeline could do not to laugh. There was something in Nasira that was a lot like her sister-in-law, Evie. All Nasira wanted, it seemed, was a little taste of adventure. And neither of her brothers, it seemed, was willing to let her have it. Madeline reflected back on her own brother. Rick had always tried to protect her, but he had never sheltered her. After all, the two of them had lived on the streets since they were very young. There had really been no way _to_ shelter Madeline. The result had been a frighteningly unrefined, overly-masculine and rather alcoholic young woman. In all reality, Nasira was lucky in some ways, although Madeline doubted she would see it like that.

"Ardeth always tells me stories about protecting Hamunaptra, and the time you all stopped the creature," Nasira was saying. "I always love to hear his stories. Yasir never tells me stories, not unless they're meant to frighten me into wanting to stay at home."

So Yasir wasn't very nice to Nasira either, Madeline thought to herself. Well, she supposed that was a relief. She'd been worried there was something in particular about her and Jonathan that Yasir hadn't liked.

"Yeah, well, older brothers can be like that," Madeline said. "I mean, I know my older brother's a pain in the ass."

Nasira laughed. "No, he really is," Madeline pressed on. "He thinks he's the shit. No one can do anything the way he can – or so he believes. Doesn't listen worth a damn, either. And he thinks he's got to make everything into a fist fight, or he won't be a man, or something equally stupid like that."

Nasira laughed again. "You are so funny."

Madeline smiled. "Yeah, well, I don't know if that's a compliment or not," she replied. "Most of the time, people tell me I'm funny when I'm not trying to be."

This got another laugh out of Nasira. "That is what I mean," she said. "That is why you are funny. You can even make fun of yourself. You remind me of Ardeth."

Madeline blinked at Nasira like she'd lost her mind. "I'm sorry; did you just say the most improbable thing in the world?"

She laughed. "You didn't know Ardeth when he was younger," Nasira returned. "He was not always so stern. Once upon a time, he had a sense of humor. He could make jokes. He was fun. Now, ever since he took my father's place, he has become… he has become more like Yasir. Very little makes him smile anymore."

Madeline made no reply. "You like my brother," Nasira announced suddenly.

"What?" Madeline exclaimed, rather too quickly. Nasira smirked. "Well, yeah, I like him fine. He's… nice and all that," Madeline attempted to cover her tracks.

The smirk on Nasira's face persisted. "No," she argued. "You _like_ my brother."

Once again, Madeline made no reply. She was far too flustered. Nasira took advantage of her silence to say more on the subject. "My brother likes you."

Madeline turned and gaped at Nasira. The young girl was still smiling. That little smile was rather infuriating, actually. Before she could argue, Nasira pushed on with, "My brother likes you very much. And I like you too, from what I've seen. I like what I saw when my brother told stories about you. He would laugh. He never laughs. Not anymore."

Madeline was far too aware of the bright red blush creeping through her neck and her cheeks. "I… I…" she stumbled over her words. "I… don't know what you're talking about."

The reply was rather lame, and so it was no surprise to see Nasira smirk again, and bow her head over the sewing she was working on. "Of course you don't," the teenager replied, sounding entirely unconvinced.

Before Madeline could say anything else, the flaps at the front of the tent were pulled back and Jonathan ducked his head inside. In the time that Madeline and Nasira had spent inside the tent, the pretty young girl had removed both the scarf around her face, as well as the veil that covered her long, beautiful black hair. Jonathan called into the tent, "Ladies, Ardeth wants to speak to all of us!"

Nasira gave a surprised little shriek, diving for her veil. Jonathan's jaw dropped as he stared at Madeline's newfound companion. "Cor, luv," he announced. "You're gorgeous!"

Madeline sighed heavily, burying her face in her hands. Good old Jonathan. He was still standing in the entrance to the tent with his mouth open, and Nasira still looked horrified. She decided to take charge of the situation. "Jonathan!" Madeline exclaimed. "Get the hell out of here!"

"Sorry," Jonathan murmured, ducking back out of the tent. "But seriously, Ardeth wants to see you two! Hurry up!"

Jonathan walked away from the tent. Madeline turned to Nasira. "I'm sorry about Jonathan," she said. "He's, uh…"

"He called me gorgeous," Nasira murmured, shocked. Then a slow smile spread across her face.

Oh, crap. Madeline could not believe this. If Nasira developed a crush on Jonathan, she was pretty sure both Ardeth and Yasir would kill her. "Um… yeah," Madeline replied. "Jonathan, uh… he calls everyone that. You don't… you don't… he's not really the type of guy you want calling you gorgeous."

Madeline felt bad saying that, but she couldn't deny the accuracy of the statement. Jonathan was a good guy, and her best friend, but he was also a womanizer. And Nasira was not the usual bar sleaze Jonathan worked his charm on. Of course, she doubted Jonathan would pull any of his usual crap on the inexperienced teenager, but Madeline still felt she ought to discourage any crush Nasira might develop. As it was, however, her warnings had little effect on the young girl. She still looked thrilled about the compliment.

Madeline hoped that Nasira just wasn't used to hearing things like that, and her expression was no reflection on what she might think about the man who'd called her gorgeous. "Um… we should go see what Ardeth wants," she announced, hoping to distract the young girl.

Nasira nodded, putting her veil and her scarf back on. She was still smiling. "Yes," she agreed. "Let's go."

Madeline followed Ardeth's sister out of the tent, shaking her head as she went. This ought to be interesting.

* * *

When Madeline followed Nasira inside Ardeth's tent, she found Jonathan, Ardeth, and Yasir waiting for them. Nasira took a seat beside Ardeth, and Madeline sat beside her. "Madeline, Jonathan," Ardeth announced. "We have decided that the two of you will stay the night here in camp. Then tomorrow, you will be escorted back to Cairo."

Madeline stared at Ardeth like he'd grown another head. "So… you just want us the hell out of your little problem, then?" she asked, rather upset. It seemed that Ardeth had decided, no doubt with the aid of Yasir, that both Jonathan and she were nothing more than a nuisance that had to be gotten rid of immediately.

Ardeth looked at her. "This is Med-jai business," he replied, but not unkindly. "It will not do to trouble the two of you with our problems. You have done enough."

"I concur," Jonathan interjected. Madeline ignored her friend.

"Well, what then?" she pushed on. "You're just going to send us on our merry way and not explain what's going on?"

"It is none of your business," Yasir snapped. Ardeth sent his younger brother a harsh look, but Yasir ignored him and continued his outburst. "There is no reason for us to tell you what is going on here!"

"Hey, listen, buddy!" Madeline returned angrily. "That necklace nearly got me killed three times already! Ever since Dr. Kadar gave it to me, I've had creepy masked gunmen following me everywhere and attacking every chance they get! I think I deserve some kind of an explanation here!"

Yasir was effectively silenced. Madeline was rather surprised that she'd managed to shut him up. The look Nasira gave her indicated she was impressed as well. Ardeth, however, looked concerned. "You've been attacked how many times?" he asked.

"Three, counting the museum," Madeline replied. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on, or not?"

"This is not good," Ardeth murmured to his younger brother. "They know she has the necklace."

"They may have followed her here," Yasir said, casting a dark look at Madeline. She felt herself getting angry again. This was _not_ her fault, and if Yasir didn't stop giving her those snarky looks, she might just have to punch him in the face.

Ardeth did not appear to be thinking along the same lines of his brother. "You will not be safe in Cairo," he announced, looking at Madeline. He turned back to Yasir. "We cannot send her back there."

"She cannot stay here," Yasir objected, sounding absolutely horrified at the very idea.

"No," Ardeth agreed. "She will not be safe here, either." He fell silent for a moment, apparently thinking over his options. Madeline appreciated his concern, she supposed, but she could feel herself becoming extremely frustrated. She wanted to know what was going on.

Finally, Ardeth spoke. "I will take you and Jonathan to Alexandria in the morning," he announced, addressing Madeline. "You will go to your family in England."

"Hey!" Jonathan objected. Madeline was rather surprised. "I can't just ship off to England whenever the bloody hell I please, and for God knows how long! I have a business to run!"

"And I'm not leaving Egypt," Madeline added. "You can't just push us off on Rick and Evie, you know. I want to know what's going on. I want to know the story behind that necklace. I want to know who's after me!"

"You will go to England!" Yasir thundered. "You will go, and you will not complain!"

"Yasir…" Ardeth said warningly.

"I'll complain if I want to!" Madeline retorted. "You… I don't… I don't know who you think you are… mister… but I'll tell you one thing! My brother and sister-in-law have a three year old son in England, and I am not going to head off to London only to find that those weirdos followed me there, and I've put my brother and his family in danger!"

"Your intentions are honorable," Ardeth replied. "But there will be no arguing on the subject, Madeline. I am sending you to England. This is no place for you right now."

Madeline stared at him. "I… you can't…" she could feel herself getting too flustered to speak. She took a deep breath, and forced herself to sound normal. "Ardeth, it's really nice of you to be so worried, but… but… but you can't just send me off to England. You don't have that kind of authority over me."

"And you can't just keep her in the dark about all of this, either," Nasira spoke up. "I think both her and Jonathan deserve to know what is going on here."

"Stay out of this, Nasira," Yasir snapped.

"I wasn't talking to you," Nasira spat angrily. "I was talking to the chieftain."

Madeline could tell from the furious look on Yasir's face that Nasira had struck a nerve. Apparently he didn't like being reminded that he didn't have as much power as his older brother. "You will not speak to me like that," he snarled, getting angrily to his feet.

"Yasir!" Ardeth snapped, giving his brother a scolding look. "Sit down!"

Yasir still looked furious, but he slowly sat back down beside his brother, glowering at his younger sister the entire time. Ardeth sighed heavily. "Nasira is not wrong," he announced. "Although she must be more careful about the way she speaks to her guardians."

Nasira bowed her head, looking rather ashamed of herself. Madeline frowned. She knew that Ardeth and his people had different rules and accepted behaviors than Americans did, but that didn't change the fact that she couldn't imagine Rick ever speaking to her like that. She couldn't imagine herself taking it either.

Ardeth took a deep breath. "The necklace once belonged to a female pharaoh named Nitocris. She took the throne after her brother was murdered. To avenge her brother, she invited his murderers to a feast, in a room she had engineered to flood with the waters of the Nile. Her brother's murderers drowned in the flood, and she in turn took her own life when she threw herself into a burning room. At least, that is what legend says occurred. Legend also says that before her death, she vowed to return to Earth one day and rule the entire world, not just Egypt. She placed a curse upon the necklace. Legend says that the necklace has the power to resurrect her."

"How?" Madeline wanted to know.

"That we do not know," Ardeth replied. "That is what Ajwad was trying to find out when he was murdered."

Madeline bit her lip. Then she reached into her bag, and pulled out Dr. Kadar's notebook. "Well… maybe this might help."

"What is it?" Ardeth asked, taking the notebook from her.

"Dr. Kadar's research. He gave this to me when he gave me the necklace."

Ardeth opened the notebook curiously. Madeline caught Yasir glaring at her distrustfully. She rolled her eyes, and ignored Ardeth's younger brother, speaking instead to Ardeth once again. "I looked at it, but I couldn't understand anything," she told him. "And Jonathan didn't have his books, so he didn't know what anything meant either."

Ardeth was frowning. "I believe these hieroglyphs are the ones found at the necklace's hiding place in Luxor," he announced.

"What do they mean?" Madeline asked.

He shook his head. "I cannot read hieroglyphs. No Med-jai warrior can."

Madeline raised an eyebrow. "_What_?"

"We are not meant to understand, only to protect," he murmured, still turning the pages of the notebook. "It is the duty of the descendents of Egypt's scribes to understand. Ajwad Kadar was one of those descendents."

Again, Madeline gave Ardeth an incredulous look. "_What_? Are you telling me that you people risk your lives on a daily basis to protect a whole bunch of ancient crap without even knowing why? Are you insane?"

Yasir's glare deepened. Ardeth looked up at her, his expression proud. "I do not expect you to understand, Madeline. But I have been given a sacred duty to fulfill, and I intend to fulfill it."

Madeline immediately felt abashed. He'd certainly put her in her place. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just thought you would have wanted to know a little something about what you're protecting."

"We do," he replied. "That is why we have people like Ajwad."

She fell silent. Ardeth closed the notebook and tucked it into his robes. "We will find someone to translate this at another time," he announced. "Nasira, take Madeline back to your tent."

Nasira nodded. "Yes, brother," she murmured, standing. Madeline followed her out of the tent.

"I offended him, didn't I?" she asked Nasira.

In spite of the veil covering her face, Madeline still felt Nasira's reassuring smile. "Only a little. He knows you are not one of us, and makes allowances."

For some reason, that comment stung. Madeline didn't bother to ask any more questions. Nasira and she spent the rest of the night finishing Nasira's chores and talking about Cairo. After some time, Nasira let the fire burn down to embers, and the two of them went to sleep.

* * *


	8. The Attack and the Ride

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thank you to LadySoftball, Nelle07, babyicequeen666, pirate hero, Typhoid-Candy, and Makayla for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 8: The Attack and the Ride

Madeline's sleep was restless that night. It took her forever to finally fall asleep, and once she did, she couldn't manage to stay that way. For some reason, she kept waking up.

It was close to the fourth or fifth time that she'd awakened that night. However, this particular awakening was different than the ones that came before it. She awoke with a start, and lay still on the ground. At first, all she could hear was Nasira's gentle breathing from the other side of the tent. Then, she thought she heard shuffling outside. Frowning, she sat up. Suddenly, she heard a rustling noise. Peering over at the flaps that led out of the tent, she half expected to find Jonathan or some other intruder making their way inside, but instead she found nothing.

Sighing, Madeline decided she must have been imagining things. She lay back down on the ground and tried to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, a hand was clamped down over her mouth. Madeline struggled, but couldn't fight off the strong arm that encircled her waist, or the two hands that seized her wrists. She fought the two men that were restraining her to the best of her ability, but they easily subdued her.

"Find the necklace," one of them hissed in an American accent.

"I don't think she has it," the other man replied. He was clearly Egyptian.

"Well, then who does?"

"Maybe the chieftain. We'll stop at his tent after we get her."

Madeline felt them trying to lift her off the ground. She renewed her struggles with vigor. Although she couldn't break free of her assailants, she succeeded in preventing them from carrying her out of the tent. As she continued to fight them, she heard Nasira let loose a bloodcurdling scream.

"Shut her up!" the Egyptian man restraining Madeline ordered. Although she couldn't see very well in the dark, she thought she saw two men grab a hold of Nasira. Despite being half Madeline's size, and probably having only half Madeline's fighting experience, the seventeen year old put up quite a fight.

More men burst into the tent, one of them carrying a torch. There was a lot of yelling in Arabic. One of the men holding onto Madeline suddenly got a sword sliced through his neck. She broke free of his grasp as he fell beside her, dead. The swordsman started in on the other attacker next.

Madeline backed away from the fight, glancing over at Nasira. A shot went off, instantly killing one of the men restraining her. She knew immediately that Jonathan was in the tent.

Another man took care of Nasira's second assailant. It was difficult to tell in the dim light from Jonathan's torch – she was sure the man holding the torch was Jonathan – but she thought Nasira's other rescuer was Yasir.

Madeline's second attacker fell to the ground. He too was dead. The swordsman knelt beside her, and she found herself staring into Ardeth's big brown eyes.

"Are you all right?" he demanded.

She nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks."

There was just enough light from Jonathan's torch that the two of them could see one another perfectly. Ardeth stared at her, and swallowed noticeably. He suddenly looked extremely uncomfortable, but couldn't seem to stop staring. Madeline wondered why – until she remembered that Nasira had insisted on loaning her something to sleep in, and the gown Nasira had given her was much too small. She looked down at herself. Her hair was flying loose and wild, her breasts were practically popping out of her gown, and her hemline fell short of her knees. Madeline blushed furiously. Ardeth looked away from her with great difficulty, and she immediately covered herself with the blanket Nasira had given her.

"Are you all right?" she heard Jonathan ask Nasira.

"Yes, I'm fine," Nasira replied. "Thank you."

"I knew you were trouble," Yasir spat, turning on Madeline.

Ardeth got to his feet, standing over Madeline. "Be quiet, Yasir," he ordered. "This is not her fault."

"The sooner we get the two of them to England, the better," Yasir snapped. "Nasira could have been hurt!"

Ardeth looked to the ground, apparently ashamed. "I know," he murmured. "Nasira, are you all right?"

"Yes," Nasira murmured in an uncharacteristically meek voice.

"I knew it was a mistake to let you two stay here!" Yasir ranted on, glowering at Madeline.

Madeline glared back. "Yasir, I told you to be quiet!" Ardeth thundered.

Yasir fell silent, but his face said everything he couldn't.

"Ardeth," Nasira spoke up, sounding teary. "You can't send Madeline to England. They'll follow her!"

The other four people in the room stared at Nasira. She didn't seem the least bit deterred. "They want the necklace, yes," she pushed on. "But I heard them talking, Ardeth. They want Madeline too. They're not just after her because she had the necklace! It is more than that!"

Madeline gawked at Nasira. She certainly hadn't heard anything like that. But Nasira looked deadly serious. "Nasira, that changes nothing," Ardeth said gently. "Either way, she will be safer in England."

Instantly, Madeline felt hurt. Why, she had no idea. She just couldn't help but feel that Ardeth didn't want her around, and he was trying to get rid of her.

"No, she won't!" Nasira returned defiantly. Madeline had to admire her spunk. "You don't understand! They want Madeline, and they won't stop until they get her! I heard them talking! If you send her to England, they will follow on the next boat. She needs us!"

"Why would she need _you_?" Yasir retorted, scoffing at his younger sister. "Even if these people _were_ after her, exactly how would you be any help whatsoever?"

Nasira got furiously to her feet. Her eyes were shining, and her hands were shaking. "I can do more than you know!" she shouted at her brother. "I am not some worthless creature underfoot! Don't you dare underestimate me! You are a bitter young man, Yasir, but I will not let your bitterness infect_ me_!"

Yasir lunged menacingly at his sister. The movement was sudden and rather frightening in the eyes of the onlookers. Ardeth quickly stepped between the two, shielding his younger sister from his younger brother's wrath. "Yasir!" he bellowed. "What is the matter with you? If you cannot be civil, you will stand outside this tent! I don't ever want to see you behave in this manner again!"

Yasir looked sour, but he hung his head and said nothing. He stalked out into the night. Ardeth turned on Nasira. "I understand you are upset," he said sternly. "And I know he antagonizes you. But Yasir is your older brother and you have no right to speak to him that way – especially after he saved your life tonight."

Nasira crossed her arms in front of her like a petulant child and stared down at the ground, both furious and ashamed. Ardeth turned to Madeline and Jonathan, who were standing there, staring at the Bays with an element of disbelief. "I will take you to Alexandria in the morning as we discussed. In the meantime, we will return to my tent. Madeline, Nasira, you will come as well. I won't risk a repeat of tonight's attack."

Madeline and Nasira gathered up some of their things, and then Ardeth led the three of them out of the tent and towards his own. Yasir had vanished. "Ardeth," Nasira spoke again. "I am afraid for Madeline. I don't like this plan."

"Don't worry about me, Nasira," Madeline spoke up. "I can take care of myself. I don't need your big bad older brother to watch out for me. I've already got one of my own waiting for me in England. Besides, I also have guns. Lots of them. And I know how to use them, too. It's pretty much the only thing I can do right. So don't worry about me. I got it covered."

Nasira fell quiet, but everyone could see she was unconvinced. The four of them returned to Ardeth's tent, and made themselves a place to sleep. Madeline lay down between Nasira and Jonathan, exhausted. She wasn't sure she could handle another night like this.

* * *

Bright and early the next morning, Madeline found herself seated on one of the camels Jonathan had purchased, riding through the desert with Jonathan and Ardeth. Ardeth was riding his beautiful black horse. Madeline couldn't help but be envious. Of course, chances were that she'd be just as horrible at riding a horse as she was riding a camel, but that didn't change the fact that she hated camels with a passion. And the feeling was mutual.

The three of them rode through the desert to the Egyptian port of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast. Neither of them spoke to one another. Madeline reflected back on the time she'd spent in the camp. She hadn't known her long, but she'd actually rather liked Ardeth's little sister. Nasira had not been what she was expecting. She got the feeling that Nasira had liked her as well, considering the hug she had given Madeline before she'd left.

"Don't listen to Yasir," she'd whispered in Madeline's ear. "You are always welcome here. I will miss you. Please be careful."

Please be careful. Madeline couldn't help but think that just wasn't going to happen. She'd been trying to be careful since she was old enough to know what the phrase meant, and so far she'd been unsuccessful. No matter how hard she tried to stay out of trouble, trouble inevitably found her anyway. After awhile, Madeline had just given up.

After a day of riding in silence, the sun set and soon Jonathan was asleep on his camel. Ardeth was still awake, for obvious reasons. He was, after all, the only one who knew where he was going. Madeline was still awake as well. She had never been able to sleep while she was on a camel.

"You should try to get some sleep."

Madeline looked up at Ardeth in surprise. He wasn't looking at her, but he _had_ been talking to her. "I can't," she replied. "It's the camel. I can't sleep on a camel."

She thought she detected a smile on Ardeth's face. "I know it must be uncomfortable," he returned. "But you really must try."

"You don't understand," Madeline said. "I can't sleep on a camel. No matter how hard I try. And, honestly, even if I _did_ manage to fall asleep on the camel, I'd probably fall off about two minutes later. So this is actually better for me."

She swore she heard a soft chuckle. "All right then," Ardeth murmured in reply. "Stay awake."

"I was planning on it."

They fell silent again. Then Madeline spoke up. "Ardeth, I really don't want to go to England."

He didn't answer right away. "I know," he said finally. "But it is best that you do."

"All right, not to be an ungrateful bitch or anything," Madeline replied. "But I'm not Nasira. You can't order me around."

"No, I cannot," he agreed. "But I respect your older brother very much. And if I did not at least _try_ to send you to England, I'm afraid he would be very angry with me."

"I'm sorry, have you met Rick?" Madeline retorted. "He's going to be very angry that you _did_ send me to England. He loves not having me around!"

"I don't believe that."

"Well, it's true."

"No," he shook his head. "I _have_ met your brother, Madeline, and I know that no matter what, your safety is one of the most important things to him."

Madeline huffed. "You are _so_ pissing me off right now."

Suddenly, Ardeth began to laugh. She was so surprised to hear him laugh that she nearly fell off her camel. He was _really_ laughing. Harder than she'd ever heard him laugh before. "Are you all right?" she asked incredulously.

"I'm fine," he returned, the laughter dying away. "I am sorry; it is just so funny to me."

"_What_ is so funny to you?"

"That you are talking back to me like this. Like I was Jonathan, or your brother. There was once a time you could barely stutter out two words in my presence."

Instantly, Madeline felt herself flush bright red. "That's not true," she lied.

He laughed again.

"You know, you… just… it's not… I didn't… why are you… stop that… shut up, Ardeth." Madeline finally managed to spit out.

Although he fell quiet, Madeline could tell he was still smiling with amusement. "I am sorry," he apologized. "I will not poke fun at you anymore."

Madeline didn't reply. In fact, she decided not to speak to Ardeth at all, at least for the remainder of the ride to Alexandria. She had had quite enough of being a punch line.

* * *


	9. The Night in Alexandria

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thank you to Typhoid-Candy, Nelle07, and Ravenclaw Samurai for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 9: The Night in Alexandria

After a long ride through the desert, Madeline, Jonathan, and Ardeth finally reached Alexandria, a bustling port on the Mediterranean Sea. Ardeth wasted no time in finding the docks and attempting to put Madeline and Jonathan on a boat.

Neither Madeline nor Jonathan were being very helpful. The two friends had no interest in traveling to England, and were starting to resent their Med-jai protector. "You know, usually I'm all for running and hiding," Jonathan murmured to Madeline while Ardeth was running around, trying to get passage for them. "But quite frankly, I do _not_ want to race off to England to visit with our dear relations. I mean, I have a business to run! I don't have the bloody time for this!"

"I know, Jonathan, I'm sorry," Madeline murmured. "This is all my stupid fault. I never should have dragged you into this."

"Now don't start with that, Maddie, you know I don't blame you. At least, not entirely. My point is I don't particularly care for that Med-jai man bossing us around!

Madeline narrowed her eyes. "I agree," she said, annoyed. "Who does he think he is? He may be the Med-jai chieftain, but the last time I checked neither you nor I were Med-jai!"

"Precisely!" Jonathan exclaimed. He was getting rather heated up about this. "So why is it that he thinks he can order us around?"

"I don't know," Madeline grumbled. "But I am not standing for this."

"Neither am I!" Jonathan agreed. The two of them fell silent for a moment. "So, um…" Jonathan scratched his head. "Exactly what are we going to do about this?"

Madeline crinkled her nose. "Um… I was thinking pretending to leave, but then actually not leaving?"

"Oh, yes, that could work," Jonathan murmured thoughtfully.

"I could not find you passage until tomorrow," Ardeth announced, coming up rather suddenly behind them. Both Jonathan and Madeline jumped in surprise, looking rather guilty. Whether or not Ardeth noticed, he didn't let on. "We will find rooms in the city for the night, and in the morning you will leave for England."

"Now hold on a minute, mister!" Jonathan retorted. "I don't care for your tone! Exactly who died around here and put you in charge?"

"I already found a hotel," Ardeth continued, ignoring Jonathan's protest. "It has a very nice bar."

"Well, all right then, that sounds excellent. Don't you agree Maddie?" Predictably, Jonathan completely changed his tune at the mention of the hotel bar. Madeline made eye contact with the triumphant Med-jai chieftain, narrowing her eyes. She had to hand it to Ardeth; he certainly knew what Jonathan was all about.

With Jonathan now on Ardeth's side – at least, temporarily – Madeline knew she had been outwitted. "Fine," she said, although her tone was less than pleased. "Let's go find this hotel, shall we?"

* * *

The Alexandria Hotel was beautiful inside. Madeline couldn't help but grudgingly like her room. From what she'd seen, the room Ardeth and Jonathan were sharing wasn't bad either. And Ardeth was certainly right about one thing: the bar was very nice.

The three of them quickly found a place to sit near the back at a small table. Jonathan squinted up at the bar. "Well, what will everyone be having?" he asked cordially.

"Whiskey," Madeline grumbled.

"As always. And for you, Ardeth?"

"Water," he replied without hesitation.

"_Water_?" Jonathan exclaimed incredulously. "What the hell do you want with water? We're in a bloody bar!"

"I'll have water," Ardeth repeated firmly.

"Not even a teensy little drop of… beer or something like that?"

Ardeth shook his head in the negative.

Jonathan sighed. "Bloody hell, man, you're not _really_ going to make me order water in a bar?"

Ardeth merely glowered at the Englishman. Jonathan hastily stood up. "Well, I'll just be getting the drinks then," he murmured, hurrying away.

There was silence at the little table once he left. Madeline shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She desperately tried to think of something to say to Ardeth. Her mind was blank. Other than complaining yet again about not wanting to go to England, she had nothing to say - and she felt she had complained enough already. Maybe she should try reasoning with Ardeth instead. Yeah, that could work, right? Madeline bit her lip, trying to think how to start. She'd never really been all that good at reasoning with people.

"Maddie? Is that you?"

Startled, Madeline looked up at the British voice that sounded from behind her. To her astonishment, she found herself staring into the killer gray eyes of Luke Berkley.

She swallowed, standing up and nearly tripping over her own feet. "Mr. Berkley! Um… hi there… uh… what are… what are you… what are you doing here?"

Madeline was unprepared for what followed. Mr. Berkley enveloped her in a huge hug. Confused, Madeline frowned as she very awkwardly hugged him back. "My goodness, Maddie, I was so worried!" he exclaimed. "I came into work and found the museum just… destroyed! And the police officers told me about Dr. Kadar… it's just so horrible!"

"Um… yeah," Madeline murmured. "Yeah, it was horrible…"

"I went to your apartment," he went on. "But it was in just as bad a shape as the museum! I started asking around about you, but no one could tell me anything! Then the museum board informed me I was being transferred back to England, and I had to leave for Alexandria. I'm so happy to see you're all right!"

"Yeah, you too," Madeline said, rather thrown. "I, uh… didn't expect to see you here."

"What happened to you?"

Madeline didn't know how to answer that. She couldn't exactly tell Berkley the truth. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but… well, she was pretty sure Ardeth would kill her if she blurted out the whole sad story behind the necklace.

"I'm going to England, too," she replied hastily. "My, uh… my brother, he lives there. After what happened, I just… I decided to… to go stay with him… and his family."

For just once, she wished she could spit out a complete sentence in Mr. Berkley's presence without stumbling all over her words. He didn't seem to mind, however. "I'm sure that's best," he agreed. Then a smile crossed his face. "Who is your friend?"

Madeline glanced over at Ardeth. The moment she did, she regretted it. He was glowering at both her and the anthropologist. She swallowed. "Uh… this is…"

"Ardeth Bay," the Med-jai chieftain announced, getting to his feet and walking swiftly to Madeline's side. Somehow, Mr. Berkley failed to notice the other man's murderous expression.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Bay," he smiled pleasantly, shaking Ardeth's hand. Ardeth did not return the pleasantry.

"This is… this is Luke Berkley," Madeline murmured. "He, uh… he worked at the museum with me."

Ardeth's face did not soften. "Well, Maddie, if I could pull you away from your friend for a moment," Mr. Berkley grinned. "How about I buy you a drink?"

"Oh, um… well, I don't know…"

"Oh, come now." He leaned in close to her and gave her a confidential smile. "I'm sure they have whiskey."

Madeline mustered up a grin. "Well, all right then…"

"Great! I'll meet you at the bar."

Madeline watched Mr. Berkley walk away, swallowing yet again. Damn, he looked good in those pants.

"You are not really going to accept a drink with that man?"

She looked up at Ardeth in surprise. He still wore a glower. "Well, I don't see why not…"

"You don't know anything about him," Ardeth snapped. "He could be dangerous."

In spite of Ardeth's dark look, Madeline burst out laughing. "Mr. Berkley? Dangerous? Oh, come on!"

"You have reason to trust this man?"

Madeline sighed, rather frustrated. What was with all the questions, anyway? "Well, I don't know… he worked at the museum with me. It's not like he's a total stranger!"

Ardeth stared down at her. He didn't look angry with her, but he didn't look pleased. She wasn't sure _how_ to read the expression on his face. "Is this all you know about him? That he worked at the museum?"

"Well… no… I… he… um…" Madeline trailed off, suddenly realizing she really _didn't_ know very much about Mr. Berkley.

"I will take that as a yes."

Madeline couldn't help but feel rather angry with him. "Well, maybe I don't know him as well as I know _Jonathan_," she retorted. "But that doesn't mean he's a bad person."

Ardeth shook his head at her. "No, it doesn't," he agreed. "But it doesn't make him a good person either."

She frowned up at him. "What are you getting at?"

"He worked at the museum with you, he just _happens_ to show up in Alexandria at the same time you did… and you told me that Ajwad suspected the break in had been orchestrated by someone working at the museum. And obviously, whoever broke into the museum knows you have the necklace…"

"I see," Madeline interrupted him suddenly, her voice rather wobbly. She was suddenly hurt. "So what you're saying is if some man offers me a drink in a bar, then clearly he's trying to steal some ancient, cursed necklace?"

The harsh look on Ardeth's face immediately softened. "Of course that is not what I am saying."

It was too late, however. Madeline's feelings were already hurt. "No, no, I get it," she said, her eyes shining. "I get it completely. I'm Madeline. No one ever cares about Madeline. Madeline's just some stupid drunk girl who can't take care of herself. No man is ever interested in Madeline unless he can get some sort of artifact out of her. Madeline's hopeless, Madeline's worthless, Madeline's pathetic…"

"Would you please stop referring to yourself in third person?"

Madeline blinked at him. In all fairness, his expression was earnest. "Madeline, you _know_ I did not mean it that way. I am just concerned about you…"

"Well, stop being concerned about me," she snapped. "I don't need your help or your concern, Ardeth. Just… just leave me alone."

She turned away from him. Ardeth caught her arm as she started to leave. "Madeline, wait."

"No!" She yanked her arm out of his grasp and gave him a glare over her shoulder. "I understand you perfectly, Ardeth. _Please_ just leave me alone."

He stared at her wordlessly. Madeline turned from him once again and marched across the room to the bar. Taking a seat beside Mr. Berkley, she gave the blond, gray-eyed man a smile as he slid a shot of whiskey across the counter. He grinned back. "There you go, Maddie," he said. "Drink up."

She tossed the shot back, and then glanced over at Ardeth. He was still standing by the table, watching her. Madeline glared at him. Ardeth turned away from her, accidently ran into another customer, and then stalked out the door.

* * *

The bar had grown much livelier in the time since Ardeth had left. Jonathan had even managed to find himself a leggy blond, and Madeline hadn't spoken to him since. For nearly an hour, it had been only her and Mr. Berkley.

He kept trying to feed her shots, but Madeline had stopped after the first one, switching to beer. There was no way she was going to humiliate herself in front of Mr. Berkley any more than she already had.

Her plan, however, did not seem to be working. She'd only had a couple glasses of beer, but her vision was swimming anyway. It was actually rather odd. One shot and two beers in the course of an hour had _never_ been enough to make her intoxicated. She had a surprisingly high tolerance for alcohol. Why she was suddenly feeling very out of it was beyond her.

"Maddie, I'm afraid you're very drunk," she heard Mr. Berkley say to her. His voice sounded far away despite the fact that she was sitting right next to him. "I'm going to take you back to your room, all right?"

"All right," she replied, wincing as she detected a slur in her words. What was going on with her?

She climbed down from the stool and nearly fell right to the floor. Mr. Berkley caught her around the waist and lifted her up against him. "Come on, now, you're all right," he murmured gently, supporting her from the bar. Madeline leaned heavily on him as he helped her into the elevator.

They rode up to her floor and began the slow and treacherous journey back to her room. "I'm sorry," she half slurred, still leaning on the anthropologist.

"Don't be silly, there's no need to apologize."

"I don't understand what happened," she murmured rather drunkenly. "I _never_ get like this after drinking so little. This is _weird_."

"It will be all right," he said in a pacifying voice. "Perhaps you didn't eat enough today."

He helped her to her door and took her keys from her in order to unlock it. "Thank you so much," she mumbled, stumbling into her room. Mr. Berkley followed, closing the door behind him.

"Don't mention it."

Madeline frowned into her room, trying desperately to focus her vision. It wasn't working too well. Mr. Berkley had a tight grip on her arm, and was dragging her towards her bed. "Here, lay down," he murmured.

She sat down on the mattress. "Now?" she heard from behind her.

Frowning, she glanced over her shoulder to see two men standing beside her bed. Before she could scream, Mr. Berkley's hand closed over her mouth.

"You idiot," he spat at the man who'd spoken. "So much for the element of surprise."

Madeline struggled against the anthropologist's tight grip. "Help me with her," he snapped.

The other two men grabbed a hold of her as well. She kicked and struggled as hard as she could, but she was far too out of it to fight back. A horrible sinking feeling seized her. She suddenly knew how she'd gotten so drunk. Mr. Berkley must have been slipping something into her drinks at the bar! How could she have been so freaking stupid?

Humilated, Madeline realized that Ardeth had been right. Mr. Berkley wasn't trustworthy. He'd laid a trap for her, and she had stupidly walked right into it. Why hadn't she listened to him when she'd had the chance?

They pinned her down on the mattress, ignoring her struggles. "Hold her tight now," Mr. Berkley was saying. "Don't underestimate her. She's a fighter, this one." Maldeline was confused to hear him chuckle admiringly.

The two men restrained her as Berkley reached into his pocket. When Madeline saw the golden necklace of Nitocris, she renewed her struggling with newfound strength. He unclasped it, smiling strangely at her.

"I told you, Madeline," he murmured. "You were the woman I was looking for."

Her captors were unaffected by her fighting. An idea suddenly occurred to Madeline. With a sudden jerk, she sat up, crushing her skull into the forehead of the man covering her mouth.

He swore and tumbled backwards, letting go of her as he crashed to the floor. Wincing with pain – she _still_ couldn't do that trick right – Madeline let loose one long, loud scream.

The man still standing smacked her in the face, and covered her mouth again. The other one struggled to his feet, holding his head. "I _told_ you to watch out for her!" Berkley hissed angrily.

Madeline fought as hard as she could as Berkley's two pals restrained her. It was no use. Berkley stood over her and slowly, almost ceremoniously, clasped the necklace of Nitocris around her neck.

A white hot burning sensation seared through her neck where the jewelry lay. Madeline let out a muffled scream of pain from behind the hand over her mouth.

The door flew open violently, slamming into the wall. Ardeth rushed into the room, his sword drawn. Berkley looked up in both shock and fear, and tumbled over the mattress to avoid the sharp blade whizzing at his head. The man Madeline had clocked in the head wasn't so lucky. Ardeth's sword sliced through his neck, and the man fell to the floor, dead.

The other man drew a sword of his own and blocked Ardeth's weapon before it could do any damage. As the two of them exchanged blows, Madeline saw Berkley escape through the open window.

Suddenly, the man Ardeth was fighting collapsed to the ground, bleeding from the chest. Still out of it, Madeline frowned at the sight in confusion. Ardeth leaned over the bed, staring into her face. "Madeline?" he asked rather frantically. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. Ardeth looked down at her neck and started with surprise. He felt his robes, apparently searching for something. Madeline supposed he didn't find it, because he swore. "Why are you wearing the necklace?" he demanded.

Madeline shrugged, pointing towards the dead bodies on the floor, moving her mouth without making a sound. She looked at Ardeth rather helplessly. He sighed. "Come," he ordered. "We have to leave."

He grabbed hold of her hand and yanked her from the bed. Madeline immediately collapsed against his chest. Ardeth wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, trying to support her. "Madeline?" he asked, sounding rather frightened.

"I…" she tried to make words come out, but failed miserably. "They… he… I think… he slipped me something… in the bar…"

Madeline trailed off, her head swimming. She clutched at Ardeth's arms, her legs shaking. Ardeth lifted her off the ground and into his arms. She was far too out of it to protest. Her head lolling on his shoulder, Ardeth carried her out of her room and into the one he shared with Jonathan.

He deposited her gently on one of the beds and then hurried to the door, locking it. Before Madeline had fully realized he'd left, he was back at her side again. "Where is Jonathan?" he wanted to know.

She blinked at him. "Uh… bar… he… found… with the… leggy blond."

Ardeth nodded. "So am I to understand he won't be returning tonight?"

Madeline shook her head. He sighed heavily, pushing her down into the mattress. "Go to sleep," he commanded.

The command was unnecessary. Madeline's heavy eyelids shut by themselves, and soon she was unconscious.

* * *


	10. The Sandstorm

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thank you to Lady Softball, Nelle07, piratehero, Jac Danvers, Makayla, Typhoid-Candy, AnnabelleLee13194, and ZakiChiUmi for the reviews! Sorry this kind of took a while.

* * *

Chapter 10: The Sandstorm

"Well, how the bloody hell did that happen? Weren't you watching her?"

"Me? You were in the bar, Jonathan! If you hadn't been so caught up chasing after… leggy blondes… then maybe…"

"Oh, sure, blame it all on me! I believe _you_ are supposed to be the Med-jai warrior here, bub! Isn't protecting people _your_ job?"

"I cannot be everywhere at once!"

"And what about that bloody necklace, hmm? Whose job was it to watch that?"

Madeline slowly blinked awake to the loud, arguing voices in the room with her. Frowning at her surroundings, she found herself in Ardeth and Jonathan's hotel room, with Ardeth and Jonathan yelling at one another at the foot of her bed.

Her head was killing her. The last thing she needed was to hear the two men have it out. "Would both of you, like, shut the fuck up?" she exclaimed.

Her outcry immediately silenced both Ardeth and Jonathan. They turned to her in surprise. "Madeline," Ardeth murmured, walking to the bed. "You are awake."

"Clearly," Jonathan added, rolling his eyes. He too approached the bed. "You all right, old girl?"

Madeline blinked, attempting to sit up. To her surprise, she felt Ardeth's hand on her back, helping her into a sitting position. She frowned at both of them. Something heavy was hanging around her neck. Her hand rose to her throat, where she felt the ancient gold necklace that was still fastened there. Again, she frowned at her companions.

"Why the hell am I still wearing this?" she asked them, albeit rather groggily.

Both Ardeth and Jonathan exchanged guilty looks. Immediately, Madeline knew something was wrong.

"What?" she demanded. No one answered her. "Somebody better tell me what's going on!"

Ardeth sighed heavily. "We cannot get it off," he announced.

Madeline stared at him incredulously for a moment. Then she said, "What?"

"We cannot get it off," he repeated. "We tried, but… it is stuck there. The clasp even… it seems to have… disappeared. It's all one piece now."

She stared at him some more. "It… it's not… it won't… come off?" she repeated. Suddenly she could feel her breath coming shorter and faster.

"Oh, no," Jonathan murmured. "Maddie, darling, this is not the time to hyperventilate!"

"I am not hyperventilating!" she snapped. She swallowed hard, trying to get her bearings. "I… I… I am fine." She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The two men stared at her. "Ok," she said. "Somebody get me a drink."

Jonathan obligingly stood up and headed over to his bag, where he rooted around until he found his scotch bottle. He returned to the bed and handed it over. "It's not whiskey," he said apologetically. "But…"

Madeline snatched the bottle from his hand and took several long chugs. Ardeth watched her wide-eyed. Jonathan had seen this happen far too many times to be impressed any longer. "All right!" he said finally, taking the bottle back. "That's enough!"

She swallowed, took another deep breath, and turned to Ardeth. "Ok," she said. "What the hell are we going to do?"

He looked down at the mattress. "You cannot go to England, that much is obvious," he announced. "I… I brought both the necklace and the notebook with me. I think… I think perhaps we should return to Cairo, consult Jonathan's books, and find out exactly what all these hieroglyphics mean. Then maybe we can find a way to remove the necklace and stop whatever is going on."

Madeline nodded. "All right," she murmured. "That… that sounds good. Jonathan?"

"I agree," he said.

Ardeth, who had been kneeling by the bed, stood up and took charge. "All right," he announced. "Jonathan, you would be wise to go and sell your camels. I will find means to take care of my horse. Madeline…."

Madeline was getting out of bed. She stood up, and nearly fell onto the floor. Ardeth grabbed her around the waist, and sat her back down on the bed. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

She nodded, rather embarrassed. "I'm fine," she muttered.

Ardeth stared at her a moment, and then seemed to accept her answer. "All right," he said. "Madeline, you will come with me while I make arrangements for my horse and find passage to Cairo."

"Whatever," she murmured.

Jonathan ducked out of the room, presumably to sell his camels. Madeline personally pitied the gullible sucker that bought camels from Jonathan Carnahan.

"I will wait outside for you," Ardeth announced. "When you are ready, we will go into town."

"All right," Madeline replied.

Ardeth stepped outside and shut the door behind him. Madeline sighed heavily. She had a feeling she was in serious trouble.

* * *

After a long day of running about Alexandria finding accommodations for Ardeth's horse, getting boat passage back to Cairo, saving Jonathan from a very pissed off camel merchant, and packing up their belongings, Madeline was exhausted. She followed Ardeth and Jonathan down to the docks where they would board the Queen Nefertiti, sail around the coast of Egypt and then down the Nile to Cairo.

The sun had set beforehand and the docks were bathed in torchlight. As the three of them walked through the dusty streets to the docks, they couldn't help but notice that a lot of the people milling around them were talking excitedly. All of them looked very nervous.

Ardeth glanced up into the sky. Suddenly, he stopped. "What are you doing?" Jonathan asked. "We're going to be late!"

Ardeth pointed up into the sky. Both Jonathan and Madeline looked up where he was pointing. To their shock, they say the full moon glowing bright red in the sky.

"What the bloody hell?" Jonathan exclaimed.

"It is the blood moon," Ardeth announced. "Something evil has begun."

That's when the wind let out a howl. Ardeth looked over his shoulder. Again, Madeline and Jonathan followed his example. The people around them began running through the streets, fighting for cover. A huge wall of sand was bearing down on the city.

"Sandstorm!" Ardeth exclaimed. "We must take cover."

Madeline would have done as he suggested, but suddenly, she was incapable. Without warning, horrible pain shot through her forehead. Madeline cried out and fell to the ground beside her companions. "Madeline?" she heard Ardeth ask.

"Maddie? Are you all right?"

"Madeline, what is wrong?"

She clutched at her temples, a massive ache spreading to all parts of her head. Everyone was racing past her, screaming and jostling her as they went, desperately trying to shield themselves from the approaching storm. Dirt was already flying around them. Madeline's vision went black and a woman's face flashed before hers. Then her eyes readjusted, and she was staring at the swirling sands around her. The pain in her head intensified, and she groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Bloody hell, we have to take cover!" she heard Jonathan shout in panic.

She felt a hand heavy on her shoulder. "Madeline? Are you all right?" Ardeth asked her again.

Now there was a burning sensation all the way around her throat where the metal of the necklace met her skin. The pain in her head was suddenly much worse. Madeline moaned in agony.

"Get her up, and let's go!" Jonathan exclaimed.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms lift her off the street. That was the last thing she was aware of before she passed out.

* * *

Two tall pyramids shaded the queen from the hot sun as she sat in her chair, being fanned by servants. Before her, several slaves and seasonal workers were busting up rocks and laying them in the shape of a third, new pyramid.

The river gurgled beside her. She smiled cruelly at her advisors. "Is it almost complete?"

"Any day now, my queen."

The queen vanished. Suddenly, there was a long procession of people carrying a coffin down a dark hall lit only by torches. They lay the coffin on the floor of the burial chamber and began saying incantations over it.

A maid took hold of a necklace and ran away with it.

The procession didn't notice the girl. Soon, the ceremony was over, and the coffin was abandoned.

Suddenly, the coffin lid sprang open. There was nothing inside of it.

Then the images began to run together. First, a bridge collapsed into the Nile. Then the covers on a bed were pulled back, and a snake lifted its head and hissed threateningly.

A large group of people carrying torches stormed down an elaborate hallway, swinging countless weapons.

Water rushed very suddenly into a banquet hall. No one escaped.

Flames blazed all around a young woman. A door shut heavily.

A mummy was lowered into a shallow grave. Suddenly, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

* * *

Madeline's eyes flew open, and she stared around her in panic. Ardeth was frowning down at her, tapping her face. Once he saw she was awake, however, he stopped. "Are you all right?" he demanded.

Madeline blinked stupidly up at Ardeth. She was on her back in the dirt. As for Ardeth, at some point he had lost his turban and his hair was hanging down into his face. Everything around her was covered in sand, and people were still running about, panicking. "What happened?" she asked, confused.

"You fainted during the storm," he returned. "Are you all right?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly, reaching up to touch her head. It still ached, but not nearly as bad as before. "I… I…" Madeline trailed off. She didn't know what to say, or what she was for that matter.

"I checked with the boat captain," Jonathan's voice announced suddenly to her left. Confused, Madeline swung her head to the side to stare at his shins. "He said he still plans on sailing out. We better hurry if we want to make it."

Ardeth nodded at the Englishman. Madeline continued frowning at them both. She supposed she was all right – but she was definitely perplexed.

"Can you stand?" Ardeth asked her. Madeline got the distinct impression he was less worried about her and more worried about making time.

She nodded. "Yeah. I can stand. I'm fine."

"I'll go ahead with the bags," Jonathan announced. "Make sure Maddie stays on her feet, eh Ardeth?"

Chuckling at his own lame joke, Jonathan picked up both his and Madeline's bags and started off towards the boat. Ardeth stood and held out his hand to her. "Come," he practically ordered.

Madeline sat up slowly, taking the hand Ardeth offered her. With his help, she struggled to her feet. She straightened out, only to feel rather lightheaded. One step was all it took to nearly send her back on her ass in the dirt. Ardeth grabbed her around the waist and she snatched a hold of his arm in an attempt to steady herself. Suddenly, Madeline was extremely aware of the fact that her chest was pressed firmly against Ardeth's, and that their cheeks were nearly touching. His breath tickled her ear, and the stubble of his beard brushed against the skin of her face. She swallowed hard. Ardeth seemed to tense. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Do you need me to carry you?"

She shook her head. "No," she said, rather breathlessly. "I'll be fine."

Slowly, they disentangled themselves from one another. Carefully avoiding each other's eyes, the two of them began walking in rather awkward silence towards the boat they were supposed to take back to Cairo.

They met Jonathan in the stateroom they were sharing. He had already claimed one of the three bunks, and was attempting to brush the dirt off his clothes. The boat let out a loud whistle as it pulled away from the dock. Ardeth peered suspiciously out the small window in the room.

"What are you looking for out there?" Jonathan asked, rather sardonically. "Bad guys?"

Ardeth didn't reply. He just stared icily at Jonathan. Madeline snorted, picking her backpack out of the pile Jonathan had left by the door. "Trust me, Jonathan, if any bad guys are following us, they're probably already on the boat."

"Cheery," Jonathan retorted. "Well, I'm going to go on deck and get me a drink. Maddie?"

"No thanks, Jonathan," Madeline replied.

Jonathan stopped on his way to the door, turned slowly to Madeline, and stared at her in shock. "Did you just turn down alcohol?"

Madeline raised an eyebrow at him. "Yeah. So?"

Jonathan continued staring at her incredulously. "Are you feeling all right?"

In all honesty, Madeline really didn't feel so great. "I'm just tired, Jonathan."

He seemed to accept that answer. "Fair enough, I suppose. You were rather busy today, what with the running around town and then the fainting…"

"Please continue to bring that up," Madeline returned sarcastically.

Jonathan chortled. "All right, I'm off. Be back later!"

He disappeared out the door. The room immediately felt much too quiet. Madeline glanced rather furtively over her shoulder at Ardeth, who was still staring out the window.

Suddenly feeling awkward, she turned back to her backpack, and began piecing together her rifle. Once she finished doing so, she leaned it against the wall beside her bunk. Then she crossed over to the small bathroom and washed the lingering dust from the sandstorm off her face.

Drying her face, she looked up from the sink and stepped out of the bathroom. She was suddenly surprised to see Ardeth watching her.

Unsure what to do or what to say to him, she found herself frozen in place, staring back at him. Finally, Ardeth cleared his throat and murmured, "Are you going to bed?"

Madeline shrugged and stared awkwardly down at the floor. "Uh… in a bit."

He nodded. One more glance out the window, and then he closed it up tight. Madeline retreated to her bed and lifted her bag off the mattress. She walked over to the small table nearby the window and dumped it on top.

"You don't feel ill, do you?"

Ardeth's sudden question startled her so much that she jumped, turned around, and tripped over the chair beside the table. Ardeth, standing nearby, reached out to grab her by the waist before she fell, but only succeeded in falling down with her.

Madeline hit the floor and he landed on top of her. For a moment, Madeline just stared at the man on top of her in disbelief. She could not believe this was happening. She had actually just tripped, fallen down, and taken Ardeth with her.

He stared back at her, looking equally surprised. Madeline cursed on the inside. She was pretty sure she was blushing like a forest fire.

The door flew open. "Maddie, are you sure you don't…"

Both Madeline and Ardeth started and glanced up at Jonathan, who froze in the doorway and trailed off midsentence. His jaw practically scraped the floor. "What the bloody hell did I just walk in on?"

Madeline groaned. This could not be more embarrassing. "I fell down," she replied in an almost pitiful voice.

"Ah," Jonathan said. "Well, you do tend to do that."

"Shut up, Jonathan."

"Still don't want that drink, I suppose?"

"No, thank you."

"All right then. I'm going to go now. For real this time."

Jonathan ducked back out of the stateroom, closing the door behind him. Ardeth scrambled to his feet and offered Madeline his hand. She took it despite her embarrassment and stood up as well. "I'm just going to… I think I'll… good night," Madeline stuttered hastily. She retreated to her bunk.

"Madeline."

She looked up in surprise at the sound of her name. In a rare twist of fate, Ardeth appeared equally if not more embarrassed than her.

"I am sorry I involved you in this," he announced. "I should never have left the necklace with Ajwad. And I should not have left you alone in the bar, especially after what Nasira told me."

Madeline stared at him in shock for a moment. The Med-jai chieftain looked extremely guilty, which struck Madeline as odd, since she'd actually thought this whole mess was her fault. After all, Ardeth had tried to warn her about Berkley, and she'd failed to listen.

"Hey," she said softly. "It's not your fault. That guy… he's had this planned out for a long time. And for some stupid incomprehensible reason, he wanted me involved. He would have found a way no matter what. So… don't worry about it."

"I have to worry about it," he replied.

She sighed. "All right, then. But don't blame yourself."

He didn't reply, only looked down at the floor in silence. Madeline got into bed. "It really is going to be all right, you know," she said, attempting to be reassuring. "We'll get Jonathan's books and figure all this out and everything will turn out fine."

Ardeth nodded. "Yes," he agreed, although it sounded rather superficial. "I know. You should go to bed."

"Good night," Madeline said.

He nodded again, and disappeared out the door. Madeline sighed heavily and went to bed.

* * *


	11. The Explanation

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to AnnabelleLee13194, Typhoid-Candy, Nelle07, LadySoftball, Lucky Fannah, Music is my Muse, Ravenclaw Samurai, Makayla, and pirate hero for the reviews! Reading them makes my day.

Sorry for the wait. I know I'm not updating as frequently as I used to anymore. I'm hoping things will move faster from here on out.

* * *

Chapter 11: The Explanation

Madeline awoke with a start.

Glancing around the room, she found that sunlight was streaming in around the window shutters. Jonathan was sprawled out on his bed, snoring rather loudly, and Ardeth's bed was empty.

She sighed, rubbing her temples. What a weird dream. In fact, it had been exactly the same dream that she'd had the day before, when she'd oh-so-embarrassingly passed out in the street. This was getting to be too much. There was a cursed necklace fastened permanently around her neck, there was a crazy – albeit, sexy – British guy stalking her, and now she was having sudden migraines and weird, reoccurring nightmares. Could her life get any worse?

Sighing again, Madeline crawled out of bed and got ready to be seen in public as quickly and quietly as she could, doing her best not to wake up Jonathan. Then she ducked out of the stateroom and made her way up on deck.

To her surprise, the sun was already well up in the sky, and the deck was bustling. She saw Ardeth leaning against the rail of the riverboat, watching the riverbanks as they floated on by. Sighing, Madeline walked over to the rail. "Hey," she said. "What time is it?"

"It's almost noon," he replied.

"Sorry," Madeline apologized. "I didn't mean to sleep so late."

"It is all right," he murmured. "You were tired last night."

Silence descended over the two of them. Madeline didn't really know what to say. She wasn't used to being treated so delicately. Everyone seemed genuinely concerned for her – and she supposed she couldn't blame them if she was going to be passing out all over the place and constantly nursing horrible, crippling migraines. Still, Madeline wasn't used to the concern. She may not have been the most together person in the world, but whenever the shit hit the fan in her life it was usually the result of her doing something stupid, saying something stupid, or getting drunk, which often resulted in the saying _and_ doing of something stupid. It was never anything like this. This… this was like being Evie, or something. She was… this was almost like being the… Madeline didn't want to finish that sentence. She didn't want to label herself with the term that was floating around in her head. Because if there was one thing that Madeline O'Connell had going for her – and trust her, there weren't that many of those – it was the fact that she was _never_ the damsel in distress. She was more than capable of defending herself – and honestly, she rarely had to defend herself. Most nasty people picked smaller, less muscular targets.

"We will be in Cairo soon," Ardeth announced.

Madeline started at the sudden comment, and then nodded. "All right," she replied.

The conversation had hit a dead end. Madeline tapped her fingers nervously on the rail of the boat, trying desperately to think of something else to say. She thought of nothing, and Ardeth turned away from her, walking off to another part of the boat.

The sooner they got to Cairo, the better.

* * *

After a trip of a couple of days, with Jonathan frequenting the on-deck bar, and Madeline and Ardeth continually finding they had little to say to one another, the riverboat pulled into Giza Port. It took longer than expected to make it through all the hustle and bustle of the docks, but eventually they had found all their luggage, fought their way through the crowd, flagged down transportation, and arrived more or less safe and sound at Jonathan's apartments over the Drunken Scarab.

As soon as they were somewhat settled, Jonathan began searching his apartments for his old books. Madeline rubbed her temples, waiting for her friend to lug out his texts. She was tired, and she could feel a headache coming on.

Ardeth paced in front of the sitting room window, obviously impatient. Madeline's eyes traveled longingly over to the bar. She could use a shot of whiskey about now. The only thing stopping her from sneaking a little bit was the churning sensation in her stomach. It had started on the way to Jonathan's apartments, and was now slowly intensifying. She didn't think her digestive system could handle alcohol at the moment.

Jonathan burst back into the sitting room, his arms full of old, heavy books. "You know," he said, dumping them onto the small breakfast table by the kitchen door. "This would probably go a lot faster if we just threw in the towel now and gave my baby sister a call. Eh? Who's up for a call home?"

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Absolutely not, Jonathan," she replied. "I told you, I am not involving Rick and Evie in my problems."

"Oh, but it's just bloody fine involving me then, is that right?"

"Yes," she retorted. Jonathan pouted. "Well, I'm sorry, Jonathan, but the last time I checked, you don't have a three year old son running around!" He rolled his eyes. Madeline thought about what she'd said for a moment, and then remedied, "At least, not that we know about."

"Oh, please," he grumbled, sitting down at the table and opening a book. Both Madeline and Ardeth joined him. Suddenly, he looked hopeful. "If I tell you that I _do_ have a three year old son, does _that_ get me off the hook here?"

"No," Madeline returned shortly, frowning at the book in front of her. It looked like English, and it sounded like English, but Madeline understood the text about as well as she understood French – and the only thing she understood in French was 'Bon voyage.'

Jonathan appeared crestfallen. "I was afraid that would be the answer."

"Quiet, both of you," Ardeth ordered, thumbing through a book as well. "The faster we start, the faster we will be finished."

"Thanks, mum," Jonathan returned sarcastically. "All right Maddie, let me have a look at that thing around your neck."

Madeline rolled her eyes, trying her best to hold still as Jonathan peered at the markings on the necklace. He copied them down on a sheet of paper in a surprisingly meticulous manner.

The copying process took several long minutes. Then, finally, Jonathan announced, "All right, that's it then. Everyone start looking for these symbols in our books."

The afternoon dragged on as the three of them sat around the small table, trying to find anything in Jonathan's old textbooks that might help them understand the markings on the necklace, or the notes in Dr. Kadar's notebook. Madeline wasn't sure about the other two, but she felt extremely lost. Very little of anything she'd read made any sense to her at all, and as the hours progressed, the dull throbbing in her head began to intensify, as well as the upset feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She could only hope that Jonathan was making some progress. He had a little pad of paper sitting next to him, and as he continued to read through the books in front of him, he was constantly muttering unintelligibly to himself and making little notes on the pad.

Finally, after Jonathan had found something to serve for an evening meal – which Madeline didn't have the stomach to eat – and night began to fall over the city, Jonathan, apparently having enough, closed his book and stood up, yawning. "I think we all better get to bed," he announced.

"Did you find anything?" Madeline asked him.

She didn't care for the way Jonathan didn't quite meet her eyes when he replied, "Not yet, old girl."

Madeline would have pressed him on the subject, but he doused the lights and made his way to bed. "Let's go to sleep. Maddie, you can have the guest room, and Ardeth can sleep on the settee. All right?"

Both Madeline and Ardeth mumbled their acquiescence, and the three of them went off their separate ways to bed.

* * *

The next morning did not get off to a good start.

When Madeline awoke, she felt rather ill. Her headache was throbbing in full force, and her stomach was still churning.

She tried to ignore it. However, as she walked out into the sitting room, where Ardeth and Jonathan were already awake and reading, she noticed that she felt rather dizzy.

"Good morning, Maddie," Jonathan murmured, apparently only half awake.

"Hey," she muttered, taking a seat.

"Are you all right?" Ardeth asked.

She blinked at him. How exactly did he know she wasn't feeling so great? "I'm fine," she replied.

He didn't look convinced, but he nodded and returned to the book in front of him.

Jonathan had made breakfast, but Madeline didn't eat a bite. Her stomach wouldn't allow it.

As the day progressed, Madeline only felt more and more ill. Her headache worsened, her stomach became more unsettled, and every time she stood, she had a dizzy spell. Madeline did not like this at all. It felt like the worse hangover she'd ever had times ten. She was nauseous and lightheaded, her temples were throbbing, and she was starting to have a hard time drawing her breath.

"Are you all right?"

Madeline started at the unexpected question. She turned to Ardeth, who had asked, and saw him staring at her in concern. "I'm fine," she replied.

It was a lie. The morning had faded into mid-afternoon by this point, and she felt even worse than she had when she'd woken up.

"You look ill," he persisted.

"I'm not," Madeline returned.

He did not look convinced, but returned to the books in front of him. Madeline tried to focus on her own volumes, but simply couldn't. Suddenly, her stomach revolted against her, and she knew the contents were coming back up.

She got to her feet, nearly falling upon standing, and stumbled to the bathroom. By the time she'd reached the door, she was almost crawling. Madeline pushed the door closed behind her, and dragged herself to the toilet, where she emptied her stomach of absolutely everything in it.

Once she'd finished, she flushed, tried to stand, and collapsed to the floor. For a moment she lay still, her flushed face against the cool tiles, unable to even contemplate getting back up. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel so sick?

"Maddie?" she head Jonathan call as he knocked on the door. "Are you all right in there, old girl?"

"I'm fine!" she replied, trying to sound like it.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! I'll be out in a minute!"

She heard Jonathan's footsteps carry him away from the door. Madeline forced herself to sit up, and then grabbed a hold of the sink in front of her, hauling herself to her feet. With the support of first the sink, and then the towel rack, she managed to make it to the door, and then walked cautiously out of the room.

She nearly fell in the hall, but grabbed a hold of the wall. Leaning against it, she supported herself back to where Jonathan and Ardeth were examining Dr. Kadar's research. She stopped in the entrance to the living room for a moment to catch her breath.

"Are you sure you are not ill?" Ardeth asked.

Madeline thought she could detect a subtle sarcasm in his voice. "I'm sure," she replied, refusing the bait.

"Well, this is interesting!" Jonathan announced suddenly, reading from one of the numerous texts spread out on the table. Madeline pushed herself off the wall and started the treacherous journey back to her seat. "It says here that scholars believe the…."

What scholars believed Madeline didn't find out. Suddenly, she collapsed to the floor. Jonathan shut up immediately, and Ardeth turned in his chair. "Madeline!" she heard him shout in concern, jumping from his chair and kneeling beside her. He grabbed her shoulder and gently rolled her over onto her back.

"Maddie!" That voice belonged to Jonathan, who she could dimly see running from behind the table.

Madeline stared up at them, blinking hard. She couldn't concentrate on either one of their faces. Everything was dimming around her. "Are you all right?" she heard Ardeth ask. "Madeline?"

Then his voice faded from her, and Madeline found herself in blackness.

* * *

Breathing heavily and unsure where she was, Madeline awoke very suddenly. Only moments before, she'd been watching an ancient queen overseeing the building of a pyramid. It had been exactly like the dream she'd had when she'd fainted during the sandstorm. Now, however, something cold and damp was on her neck. Panicked, she tried to push whatever it was away from her.

"Madeline," she heard. "Madeline, stop it! It's me, it's Ardeth!"

Glancing around in fear and confusion, her vision slowly coming back into focus, Madeline's eyes finally alighted on Ardeth's face, which was hovering over hers. He was gently dampening her neck with a cool cloth, his eyes wide with concern. She looked around some more, and discovered she was lying on Jonathan's settee. What the hell was happening to her?

"Is she awake?"

Madeline looked over at Jonathan, who was walking back into the room with something that looked like smelling salts in his hand. "Yes," Ardeth said. "She's awake."

"Are you all right, Maddie?" Jonathan asked.

This was a little too much. Everything felt chaotic and confused. Madeline wasn't sure what to say. "Um… I…" her voice caught in her throat. She frowned. She must have fainted again, just like back in Alexandria. Where had she been a moment ago? Why did she keep having that dream?

Everything came flooding back to her. The river, the pyramids, the ancient queen, the mummy coming back to life – what did it all mean?

"Madeline?" Ardeth asked.

"I… I… think so…" Madeline murmured. She was surprised at the weak quality of her voice. Slowly, she tried to sit up, but her arms shook beneath her. Ardeth gently pushed her back down.

"Stay still," he ordered.

Madeline did as she was told.

"What's wrong with her?" Jonathan asked Ardeth. Ardeth shook his head slowly as if to say he didn't know.

Madeline didn't know what was wrong with her either. She wished someone would figure it out.

She shifted on the settee, and felt the cool brush of metal against the skin of her neck. Reaching up, she touched the necklace.

Pain flashed in her head. Despite herself, Madeline heard a small whimper of pain escape her throat. "Madeline?" Ardeth asked again.

That was it. Her stomach barely had anything left to loose, but it was ready to let go anyway. Madeline sat up suddenly, attempting to get to her feet, but only accomplished rolling off the couch. Ardeth tried to catch her, but only succeeded in preventing her head from smacking the coffee table.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, sounding rather annoyed at her.

"Uh-oh," Jonathan announced. "I know that look. She's about to be sick."

Good old Jonathan. He knew her better than anyone. Madeline tried to get up again, but it was a lost cause. Ardeth wrapped his arms around her waist and hefted her off the ground like a sack of groceries, carrying her quickly to the bathroom. Inside, he set her softly on the ground, pulling her hair back from her face. Madeline retched into the toilet repeatedly.

As she threw up, she heard Jonathan say, "What do you suppose this is, the flu?"

"No," Ardeth replied. "This is much more serious. I believe it must be connected to the necklace."

"The necklace?" Jonathan asked incredulously. "Since when does jewelry make _anyone_ sick?"

"Since the jewelry in question was ancient and cursed," Ardeth returned. "Go back to the hieroglyphics and try to find an answer. I will take care of her."

Even out of the corner of her eye, Madeline could tell Jonathan looked annoyed at being ordered around in his own home, but he left the room anyway. Madeline continued to empty her stomach for a little while longer. Then, once it had stopped, she drew a shaky breath and collapsed against Ardeth's legs in exhaustion.

"Are you finished?" he asked.

Madeline nodded.

Ardeth reached over and flushed the toilet. Then he kneeled at her side. Madeline knew she must be a scary sight to behold: she could feel a cool sweat all over her body, and she was shivering uncontrollably. Ardeth took her arm and wrapped it around his neck, and then lifted her into his arms.

"No," Madeline managed to protest, her voice shaking. "You don't have to…"

"Save your breath," he said curtly, carrying her out of the bathroom.

This was utterly humiliating. Madeline could not believe that Ardeth had just held her hair while she puked, and now he was carrying her. Fuck her life. Seriously, fuck her life.

Ardeth deposited her on the couch and draped one of Jonathan's throws around her. "Anything?" he asked Jonathan, handing Madeline a glass of water.

"Maybe," Jonathan replied. "Maddie, are you having any weird dreams?"

Madeline looked up in interest. How the hell had he known that?

"Um… yeah, actually," she murmured.

"What about?"

"Uh, well…" Madeline swallowed a sip of water painfully. "Egypt. The Nile mostly…"

"Yes?" Jonathan asked encouragingly as she trailed off. He motioned for her to continue. "And what else?"

Madeline frowned thoughtfully. It was rather difficult to think with her head pounding the way it was. "Well… there's this woman. She's a queen, I think. And she's watching a pyramid being built. There's already two other pyramids nearby. Actually, it looked sort of like Giza."

She continued to frown, still thinking. "And, um… well, then it got kind of disjointed and stopped really making sense. There was a funeral procession, and there was a sarcophagus, but no one was inside of it, and… well, gee, Jonathan, I don't know. It's just a stupid dream. Who cares?"

"You should," Jonathan retorted. "According to the research Dr. Kadar did – mainly, the deciphering of hieroglyphics on the wall of the necklace's hiding place – those aren't dreams you're having, Maddie. They're visions."

Madeline blinked at her best friend. He had clearly lost his mind. "I'm sorry, did you say visions?"

"From what I can make out," Jonathan continued, ignoring her skepticism. "The visions are from this Nitocris woman. You know, the first female pharaoh, the one the necklace is supposed to be able to resurrect? She's trying to tell you something: give you directions, if you will."

"Directions to where?" Ardeth asked. The chieftain appeared rather upset about what Jonathan was saying.

"Um, well… to her," Jonathan answered. He looked nervous, and possibly a bit fearful. Madeline knew immediately that Ardeth and she were only going to get more upset as Jonathan continued. "I didn't want to have to tell you this until I was absolutely sure, Maddie, but now I suppose there's no other explanation. There's a reason Berkley and his pals put the necklace _on_ you instead of just taking it. They've… they've marked you."

"What do you mean, they've marked me?" Madeline demanded in a croaky voice.

"Well, if they hope to raise Nitocris from the dead," Jonathan replied, sounding reluctant to go on. "They'll need a human sacrifice. And, well, now they have one."

Madeline's jaw dropped. "_Me_?"

Jonathan nodded sadly. "Bad luck, old girl."

"Wait," Ardeth interrupted. "Madeline is a sacrifice? She is sick because the necklace is trying to kill her?"

"Sort of," Jonathan replied. "I think it might be a bit more complicated than that. Nitocris is giving Maddie directions to follow, so that Maddie can come to her in order for Nitocris to… well, take Maddie. The necklace is making her sick because, well… Maddie's not going where she needs to go."

"So," Madeline murmured. "If I go to this place in my dream then I won't be sick, but eventually I'll be taken as a sacrifice?"

"Something like that."

"But if I stay in Cairo," she went on. "The necklace will kill me, and Nitocris _won't_ rise from the dead?"

"I think so," Jonathan replied.

Madeline looked up at Ardeth, who did not look at her. She knew how Ardeth was when it came to shit like this. Anyone was expendable when it came to the fate of the world. The choices here were clear: either way, Madeline was apparently going to die. But if she died here, in Jonathan's apartment, no one else would die with her. She waited for Ardeth to announce that Madeline had to let the necklace kill her for the sake of everyone else in the world.

Ardeth didn't say that, though. "What else do the hieroglyphics say?" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Jonathan replied. "But there's a lot more to decipher."

"So there is more to know?" he asked.

"Well, yes."

"What do you know so far?"

"Well," Jonathan said, taking a deep breath. "From what I gather, there's seven phases Maddie has to go through. Each phase is symbolic to an event in Nitocris's life."

"Are you kidding me?" Madeline asked from the settee. Her snarky question didn't sound quite so snarky since she'd half croaked the words, but the spirit of the remark remained. "That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

"Well, stupid or not, Maddie, it's happening right now, and it's happening to you," Jonathan retorted. He sounded rather put out by her outburst. "Phase one is already complete. The sandstorm in Alexandria signified that the resurrection of Nitocris has begun. There are six more – an earthquake, a flood, snakes… things like that."

"Snakes?" A sinking feeling came over her. "I hate snakes."

"I think your vision is meant to guide us to Giza," Jonathan went on, ignoring her sidebar. "Fortunately for us, that just means a short trip across the river."

Silence descended on the three of them. Once again, Madeline waited for Ardeth to announce that they weren't going anywhere.

"We must go to Giza," Ardeth announced. "And we must leave now. Hurry, let's pack all this up."

"But Ardeth," Madeline protested. She was confused. He was reacting in the exact opposite way from how she'd expected him to. "If we go, then this Nitocris lady is going to…."

"If we stay, you die," Ardeth pointed out.

"True," Madeline agreed. "But it looks like I'm going to die anyway, so maybe it would be better if…"

"There could still be another way," Ardeth interrupted her.

"And we have lots more place to go," Jonathan added. "Only one of the seven phases is complete so far."

"But…"

"Do you want to die?" Ardeth asked harshly.

"Well, no, not particularly…."

"Good," he said. "Then we will go."

* * *


	12. The Earthquake

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Music is my Muse, Jac Danvers, Red Tail Cartoon, Typhoid-Candy, JRC, Lucky Fannah, Nelle07, AnnabelleLee18194, Makayla, Pirate College Graduate, pirate hero, midnight-flurry, peygoodwin, BlueEyedGunSlinger, and Lordoftheringschick2000 for all the reviews! There were so many of you, and you all said _really_ nice things! Made my day to hear from you all! Thanks again.

* * *

Chapter 12: The Earthquake

Madeline had fallen asleep in the backseat of Jonathan's yellow convertible on the way across the river. Now, however, she slowly awoke, sitting up and blinking against the bright sunlight. Looking around her, she saw that the car was parked in the sand, not far from the pyramids of Giza. Some distance away, Jonathan stood staring up at the pyramids, squinting against the sun. Ardeth was nearby him, untying something from around the leg of a hawk.

She blinked. Wait a minute. Ardeth had a hawk? What the hell was going on now? Oh, great. Either she was drunk, high or delusional. Considering how the last few days had been going, she was betting on delusional.

Madeline crawled out of the backseat of the convertible and stood up outside the car rather hesitantly. To her surprise, she didn't feel lightheaded or weak-kneed. Her headache was gone and so was her nausea. She felt normal.

Which, considering the way things had gone over the past few days, was really weird.

She made her way over to Ardeth, who had already finished reading the paper attached to the hawk's leg, and was writing a response. As she approached him, he tied the response to the hawk's leg, and sent it flying off into the sky.

"Ok, I'm confused," she announced. Although Ardeth refrained from jumping, she could tell she'd surprised him by the way his shoulders tensed. He turned around to face her. "What's with the bird?"

"His name is Horus," Ardeth replied, turning back to the sky to watch the hawk fly away. "He is my best and most clever friend."

Raising her eyebrow, Madeline's eyes followed Ardeth's best and most clever friend as he disappeared into the sky. "Ok, then," she said.

"I sent him back to camp with a letter," he went on. "I must warn Yasir of the turn things have taken with the necklace. The Med-jai need to be prepared for any possible outcome."

"Such as Nitocris rising from the dead and bringing about some sort of crazy Egyptian apocalypse, you mean?" Madeline returned.

He stared at her for a moment before giving her a short nod, with no trace of a smile on his face. "Right."

Madeline sighed. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess so," Madeline replied, frowning. "Actually, I feel fine. Guess Jonathan was right about the whole necklace thing."

"Well, of course I was right!" Jonathan's indignant voice sounded in her ear. "Excuse me, Maddie, but _I_ am the Egyptologist here! I think I know what I am talking about."

"Oh, sure," she rolled her eyes. "You're the alcoholic, bar-tending, out-of-practice Egyptologist. Of course you know what you're talking about."

"You watch your tone with me, old girl, or I may just stop helping you."

"Oh, you will not."

"What do you propose we do next?" Ardeth asked suddenly. "We are at Giza, and Madeline is feeling better. Are we meant to stay here until she has her next vision?"

Jonathan shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"So much for you knowing what you're talking about," Madeline snorted.

"Would you stop that?"

"If we are going to stay here," Ardeth pushed on, ignoring the squabbling between his two companions. "Then we should enter one of the pyramids. It will be getting very hot out here very soon."

"Go in one of the pyramids?" Jonathan asked. "Are you off your rocker? Since when has entering the final resting place of a mummy ever turned out well for us?"

"If you would like to stay out here alone and contract heatstroke, be my guest," Ardeth returned. "Are you coming, Madeline?"

"Uh…" Madeline looked back and forth between her two companions. "Uh… well… um… ok."

Ardeth began making his way toward the nearest pyramid. Madeline shrugged at Jonathan, and then followed the chieftain. Rolling his eyes, Jonathan took up the rear, muttering under his breath, "I can't believe this."

The three of them made their way inside one of the pyramids. This one was much smaller than the other two, and didn't look as stable either. "You know, this is the third pyramid built at Giza," Jonathan announced as they made the trek down the causeway. "_And_ some scholars believe this pyramid was built by Nitocris. Others believe it was Menkaure since there was never any substantial evidence suggesting that Nitocris even existed, much less built anything noteworthy." He snorted. "I guess we put that controversy to rest, now didn't we?"

"Have you been reading?" Madeline asked incredulously. "You're starting to sound like Evie."

"Yes, well, it's certainly not by choice," Jonathan retorted. "You and your bloody cursed necklace have dragged me back into my books, and now I find that I'm a walking encyclopedia of useless information. Not exactly something a bloke strives to be."

"The information is not useless," Ardeth spoke from his place at the head of the pack. "It will most likely be very helpful in defeating the queen."

"Yes, well," Jonathan muttered. "Thanks for making a guy feel worth something, I suppose."

Madeline frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? She glanced over her shoulder at Jonathan, who was watching the ground as he walked, looking rather moody and perturbed.

She would have asked him what was wrong, but she was interrupted by Ardeth. "We have reached the pyramid," he announced.

"Oh, goody," Jonathan commented dryly. "Blimey, am I excited. Can we leave now before something terrible happens, as terrible things are wont to do to us?"

Ardeth ignored him and led the way through the crumbled remains of the pyramid's mortuary temple and finally inside the pyramid. Jonathan gave Madeline a pained look. She shrugged at him sympathetically, and then followed Ardeth inside. Jonathan sighed heavily, and then entered the tomb as well.

"Are you happy now?" he demanded. "Please tell me we're not going any further."

"No," Ardeth agreed. "We are far enough inside. The shade will be fine where we are."

"Finally you've started talking sense," Jonathan said, taking a seat along the wall.

Madeline ignored the both of them, frowning at her surroundings. This all looked very familiar to her. Which was very strange, because there was absolutely no reason why it should. She had never entered any of the Giza pyramids before, and had never entertained any intention to. As she walked around the entrance, studying the scene before her, it suddenly hit her.

"Oh my God," she announced. "This is the pyramid from my vision."

Both of the men stared at her. She blushed. "Wow, that sounds really ridiculous, doesn't it? My vision?"

"You dreamed about this pyramid?" Ardeth asked.

She nodded, frowning at the pathway that inclined down into the pyramid. "Yeah. There was… there was a funeral procession. And they carried the… coffin thingy… down that incline."

Ardeth stared at her. She met his eyes. For a moment, the two of them just stared at one another. Madeline decided it was a good thing it was dark in the pyramid, because if they were out in the sunlight she'd probably be twice as uncomfortable as she already was.

Finally, Ardeth spoke. "Do you think we should follow the incline?"

"No!" Jonathan exclaimed from his place on the ground. "Absolutely not! I don't care what the bloody hell you've been dreaming about, Maddie, I am drawing the line here! There is absolutely no way we are going up there! This can only end badly!"

"Madeline?" Ardeth asked.

"Oh, right, just ignore the Englishman shouting warnings of impending doom! Who am I, Cassandra?"

She stared at Ardeth. "Uh… well… on the one hand, Jonathan's right. I mean, we don't know what's down there."

"Exactly!" Jonathan added.

Madeline bit her lip. Jonathan was going to hate her for this. "But on the other hand… I mean, I am having these weirdo visions for a reason, right? Maybe we're meant to follow exactly what I see."

"Oh, no we are not!" Jonathan practically shouted. "Maddie, why the hell are you doing this to me?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Jonathan, but this hasn't exactly been a picnic for me either!" she snapped. "I'm just trying to figure this shit out! I mean… well… goddamn it, I don't know, ok? I don't know what we should do! I don't know what I'm doing! I… I… Luke Berkley is a fucking idiot! Who the hell picks _me_ as a sacrifice! I'm _so_ not sacrifice material! I'm not pretty enough or pure enough or… I am _nothing_ like those beautiful virtuous maidens who get sacrificed in ancient Greek mythology! This is _so_ wrong! And on top of it all, I can't even just lie down and wait for a monster to eat me! Oh, no, I've got to have visions and decipher their meanings and… and actually think! I'm not good at thinking! Why the hell did that stupid anthropologist pick _me_? He must be fucking insane!"

Jonathan and Ardeth both stared mutely at her as she finished her outburst. She seemed to have shocked them both into complete silence. Finally, Jonathan said, "Well, hell's teeth, Maddie, I didn't know you read Greek mythology."

Madeline let loose an aggravated screech. "Jonathan, I am going to kill you!"

"All right, all right! Bloody hell! Calm down, woman!" He rubbed his ears, and then his temples. "Well, at least you've got the scream down. That's certainly a quality people look for in their sacrifices."

"I don't think that's helping, Jonathan," Ardeth murmured.

Madeline flopped down on the ground and buried her face in her hands. A loud moan escaped her lips. "Why me?" she said, her voice muffled. "Why me? Fuck my life. I… I… I need a drink. Several, in fact. Somebody please just make a decision for me so I don't have to do it, because I can't!"

There was another silence. Finally, Ardeth announced, "I think we should go further into the pyramid."

"Well, of course you do," Jonathan snapped.

"If Madeline has had a vision about it, then perhaps it is important."

"Yeah, important to the evil queen who wants to kill Maddie so she can come back from the dead and take over the world!" Jonathan retorted. "I vote _not_ going down there!"

"We do not know nearly enough about what we are fighting here," Ardeth pointed out. "If we hope to defeat Nitocris, we will need more information. What better way to get it than exploring a pyramid thought to be her final resting place?"

"Countless archeologists have already torn this place apart!" Jonathan exclaimed. "All they found was _one_ sarcophagus and a few bone fragments, and the sarcophagus was lost at sea in the 1800s. I'm telling you, there's nothing to find!"

"Then there is no harm in looking," Ardeth returned.

Jonathan let loose a frustrated sigh. "You have the most twisted logic of anyone I have ever met!"

"We will go," Ardeth said firmly. "Is that all right with you, Madeline?"

"Hey, buddy, I told _you_ to make the decision," she replied. "Don't you go asking _me_ questions about it!"

He held his hand out to her. "Then we will go."

Madeline stared at his hand briefly before rather hesitantly taking it and letting Ardeth haul her back to her feet. "Sounds good," she muttered.

The three of them began their way down the incline, with only Jonathan's brand new cigarette lighter to light the way. After a brief walk, they found themselves in what appeared to be some kind of chamber. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't terribly small either. As the three of them circled the room, holding Jonathan's lighter up against the walls, Madeline almost immediately recognized the false door motif on the wall.

"This is it," she hissed. "This is the room from my dream. The one where they put the coffin."

"It can't be," Jonathan returned. "This wasn't the burial chamber. This is just a room that was meant to look pretty, as far as scholars can tell. You must be mistaken."

"I am not," Madeline huffed. "Have you been inside my head recently, Jonathan? I think I know what I saw in my own dream!"

"Well, I'm sure you know what you think you saw, but I'm telling you that's impossible!"

Madeline ignored him, and closed her eyes, trying to think. What had happened next in the vision? What had everything looked like? Goddamn it, why was the only light in this stupid chamber coming from Jonathan's pathetic little lighter?

Well, let's see. The procession had come in the way her and her companions had. Then they'd walked to the middle of the chamber and turned… right.

Madeline found herself imitating the procession. She was standing in the center of the chamber, and was now walking to the right wall. "Maddie?" Jonathan asked. "What are you doing?"

She ignored him and pushed on. A few steps more, and then she hit the wall. Forcing her eyes closed, she thought hard about what she'd seen in her vision. The procession had crossed over to the right… but there hadn't been a wall, had there? No, the chamber had opened up right into another room. So why was there only a wall now?

Maybe Jonathan was right. Maybe she was mistaken. Hm. But she had been so sure…

Of course, the walls of the chamber _did_ have a false door motif. Maybe one of these doors wasn't quite as false as the other ones.

She pictured the scene in her mind once again. The entrance to the next chamber was somewhere in the middle…

Without any hope of actually finding the door she was looking for, Madeline reached out and touched the middle of the wall. Immediately her skin began to burn where it met with the necklace fastened around her neck, and a blinding pain flashed in her head. Suddenly, Madeline was on her knees, crying out in pain.

"Madeline?" she heard Ardeth exclaim.

"Maddie?" Jonathan asked. The inquiry was quickly followed by, "What the bloody hell… oh my god, she did it."

There was a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?" Ardeth murmured on her ear.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let go."

He quickly removed his hand, and Madeline immediately felt bad for the way she'd spoken to him. She'd been rather snappish, and for no good reason.

Looking up, she saw by the light of Jonathan's lighter, that the wall and its fake door motif had melted away, and there was a large gaping hole staring back at them.

"How did you know how to open that?" Ardeth demanded.

Madeline shrugged. "I didn't. I think… I think maybe it responded to this stupid necklace hanging around my neck."

She stood up and stepped inside. "Whoa, Maddie, what the hell are you doing?" Jonathan exclaimed. "I don't think we should be going in there."

"You never think we should be going anywhere," Madeline pointed out.

She pressed on into the room, Ardeth behind her. Grumbling, Jonathan followed as well, holding his lighter high.

In the middle of the chamber stood a stone sarcophagus, beautifully decorated and yet hauntingly familiar. Madeline recognized it at once from her dream. "That's it – this is all from my vision. I told you, Jonathan!"

He grumbled under his breath again, and then the three of them approached the sarcophagus, his lighter held out to inspect the ancient contraption. "Here, help me get this off," she ordered Ardeth, pushing on the heavy stone lid.

Ardeth complied with her request, despite Jonathan's protests. "Who the hell do you think you are, Maddie, Evie? I swear it's like she's taken over your body! It's do this, desecrate that, explore this ancient tomb… you're going to get us all killed!"

Both Madeline and Ardeth ignored him, pushing the lid off the sarcophagus. It hit the ground with a heavy thud. "Perfect. Don't listen to me, then," Jonathan raved on. "Has it occurred to you yet that this might be a _very_ bad idea? Bloody hell, old girl, I beg of you… if you should see a book lying around, please refrain from reading it!"

"Jonathan," Ardeth interrupted his rant, his voice stern. "Hold the light over the sarcophagus."

Jonathan was clearly even more annoyed at the order, but did as he was told. He moved the light over the top of the sarcophagus, and the three of them peered inside, both anticipatory and hesitant.

"There's nothing inside," Ardeth announced.

"Well, obviously," Jonathan retorted.

"Just like my vision," Madeline murmured.

She thought hard, staring at the empty coffin in front of her. What did it all mean? Madeline had never been this confused in all her life… and confusion was actually a pretty standard state for her.

But there was little time for reflection. As the three of them sat there, staring at the empty sarcophagus, the ground beneath them began to shake.

"Oh, crap," Madeline muttered.

"Earthquake!" Jonathan exclaimed, stumbling to his feet. "Everyone, let's go! Let's get the hell out of here, please!"

Jonathan's rather panicked announcement was actually very good advice. The old pyramid wasn't very stable, and now the whole structure was shaking, while bits of rock and other debris began falling from the ceiling.

Ardeth and Madeline both leapt to their feet, following Jonathan towards the exit. As the two men made it through the door, Madeline, who had been a little behind them, suddenly fell to her knees. A white hot blinding pain had suddenly cut through her skull, making it impossible for her to continue. She let out a cry of agony, holding her head in her hands.

"Madeline?" she heard Ardeth shout.

"Maddie? Where the hell are you?" Jonathan cried next.

She tried to speak, but suddenly the pain increased tenfold. Madeline moaned loudly, crumpling into a heap on the ground. The darkness before her faded away, and the sight of an ancient bridge flashed before her eyes.

"Madeline!"

The vision vanished. The darkness returned. At the door, some distance away from her, she saw the dim, pathetic light of Jonathan's lighter. The world continued to shake, and the rocks fell at a steady pace all around her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized she ought to try to get out of the way of the falling missiles. But the pain in her head was so paralyzing, she couldn't even begin to drag herself out of harm's way. The necklace began burning the skin all around her neck, and the pain in her head suddenly magnified. Madeline let out one last cry of pain… before the rocks falling all around her began tumbling down so fast, even she could tell the chamber was caving in. A large rock smacked her in the head, and Madeline went limp, fading fast into unconsciousness.

* * *

Somewhere in Egypt, nearby a rather impressive ancient looking bridge, people milled about the streets of a city, buying things in the marketplace, hauling fish in from the river, and bustling from here to there in quite an obvious hurry. The fish were being dragged in from the Nile, and the bridge led over the large river and to the other side.

Suddenly, the ground beneath the busy village people began to shake. Buildings began to tremble. People started screaming and running to get out of harm's way, but there seemed no place to go. As the earthquake got worse, the bridge over the Nile shook itself loose from its supports and crumbled into the river below. Very few of the people who'd been on the bridge managed to resurface in the water.

People were screaming and crying. Dead bodies littered the street.

Then the scene shifted to the palace, where an angry horde of people were demanding to see the king. Deep inside, a young woman turned to a young man. "The people are angry, Menrenre," she announced. "The earthquake destroyed the bridge. Many people were killed. The villagers seem to think it is a sign from the gods that you are no longer fit to rule."

Menrenre hung his head. "What shall we do, sister?"

The brother and sister vanished so quickly, it was as if they had been on the bed sheets that were yanked back furiously from a mattress in the next scene. A snake coiled on the bed hissed threateningly at the offending hand.

People stormed down a hallway, carrying torches and weapons. Then water rushed very suddenly into a banquet hall. No one escaped.

Flames blazed all around a young woman. A door shut heavily.

A mummy was lowered into a shallow grave. Suddenly, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

* * *


	13. The Way to Memphis

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Big thank yous to AnnabelleLee13194, TheWinchesterAngel, kaytieorndorff, BlueEyedGunSlinger, midnight-flurry, Lucky Fannah, thatredheadedchick, Music is my Muse, Lordoftheringschick2000, danielle, whisper burning, Typhoid-Candy, Makayla, The Surface of Insanity, Lady La-sara, and pirate hero for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 13: The Way to Memphis

Madeline slowly blinked awake, struggling to open her heavy eyelids. Her head felt like it was about to fall off. She tried to lift an arm up to rub her aching skull, but quickly found she couldn't move either one of them. One arm was pinned beneath her head, and the other was pinned beneath one huge ass rock.

In fact, her entire body was pinned beneath several huge ass rocks. This was not looking good. She did her best to move her head. It was dark and uncomfortable underneath the debris from the earthquake, and Madeline was having a difficult time breathing. There was little air where she was, and most of it was filled with dust.

Huh. This ought to be interesting. Exactly how the hell was she going to get out of _this_ mess?

She lay still for a moment, trying to breathe, and attempting to think rationally about this whole situation. However, rational thought led her to one conclusion – she was stuck. Not exactly a helpful thing to conclude.

Then she thought she could hear something. Straining her ears, she picked up on the sound of rocks being moved from somewhere above her head. Then she heard someone call, "Madeline!"

The voice sounded vaguely like Ardeth's. Then there was a voice that sounded a lot like Jonathan. "Ardeth, old buddy, I hate to break it to you, but I don't think she can hear us."

Madeline opened her mouth to call back, but managed only a small groan and a short coughing fit. Neither of the two managed to capture the attention of the two men trying to dig her out.

The rocks were still being moved. "Madeline!" Ardeth called again.

"Here!" she forced herself to call back.

The sound of moving rocks immediately ceased. "Did you hear that?" Jonathan asked Ardeth.

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Don't stop digging!" she exclaimed.

"Bloody hell, Maddie, you've been buried alive and you're still bossy?"

"Are you all right?" Ardeth called.

"I'm fine! Just, you know… kind of stuck here, so… if you could keep going that would be great!"

Immediately she heard the rocks being moved again. After what felt like eternity, the rocks immediately above her had been moved, and she was squinting up into the flame from Jonathan's lighter. "Hell's teeth, Maddie, you look like… well, hell, actually…"

"Get that thing out of my face," she grumbled.

Ardeth reached down into the rocks and tried to lift her out of her prison. The rocks shifted slightly and slowly but surely, Ardeth managed to haul her up out of the debris. Breathless and bruised, Madeline collapsed against his chest.

"Are you sure you are all right?" Ardeth demanded, his hands grasping her arms and pulling her back so he could look into her face. Their eyes met and in the dim light from Jonathan's lighter, she saw genuine concern.

She swallowed, hard. This was… nerve wracking, if truth be told. Madeline took a deep breath and nodded. Jonathan let loose a low whistle.

"Well, now that we've rescued Maddie, I think we better be getting the hell out of here before there's an aftershock… or the whole pyramid decides to go. That would be a whole bloody lot of fun, digging ourselves out of that mess."

"You are right," Ardeth agreed. "We had best leave now. You go first with the lighter. I will help Madeline."

Well, that was sweet, she supposed, but why exactly did he think she needed helping? Ok, maybe she'd just had an enormous head splitting psychic vision, and then gotten clocked in the head by a big rock, and then buried alive, but… well, that didn't mean she couldn't walk. In silent indignation, Madeline struggled to her feet by herself, determined to prove him wrong.

Her head spun and her knees buckled. She fell forward into his waiting arms. Huh. Ok, maybe it _did_ mean she couldn't walk. Score one for you, Mr. Med-jai man – but this isn't over.

Jonathan tottered through the fallen stones up ahead of them, his lighter weaving around in a manner that was hardly helpful. Ardeth wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and began helping her pick her way through the rock strewn chamber. Madeline was humiliated, and quite frankly, really banged up. Exactly why the hell did these little phase things that were supposed to lead her to Nitocris nearly kill her every time they happened? Didn't Nitocris need her alive for a little while? You'd think that nearly choking her with sand and crushing her with rocks would be fairly counterproductive.

This was insanity, pure and simple. Madeline felt herself blushing and was thankful for the almost complete darkness that surrounded them. The arm Ardeth had placed around her waist was sending very unnerving tingling sensations up and down her spine. Why the hell did he have to be so gorgeous, anyway? It was driving her mad – and Madeline had far too many other things driving her mad at the moment to deal with this too. This was so unfair. Most of the other Med-jai men were old and missing some of their teeth and, to be frank, pretty damn ugly. Why did he get to be different?

Stop whining, she ordered herself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. How exactly is this inner monologue of yours helping anyone? It's not. So stop.

Easier said than done, she supposed. She was still embarrassed. This whole thing would just be a lot less mortifying if she would stop ending up on her ass. Every other day, Ardeth was helping her walk there, carrying her here… enough was enough, already! Madeline just wanted to be her freakishly strong self again!

After a long treacherous journey through the rock littered chambers and passageways of the Third Pyramid at Giza, the three of them finally found themselves outside, blinking in the bright sunlight.

"Oh god," Jonathan gasped suddenly. "Do you think my car's all right?"

Madeline rolled her eyes. Ardeth tactfully ignored him.

They made their way back to the yellow convertible, which was, much to Jonathan's relief, completely unharmed. The farther they walked, the weaker Madeline felt. She supposed that big stupid rock had gone and given her a concussion. Any minute now, she was sure she was going to collapse.

But she didn't. The three of them finally reached the car, and Ardeth helped her into the back seat. Madeline sat down rather heavily and sagged against the upholstery. The two men climbed in front. Before Jonathan could turn the key in the ignition, Ardeth asked, "Did you have another vision?"

Both men were staring at her in anticipation. It was quite humorous to see their faces, actually, but Madeline didn't really feel like laughing at the moment. "Yeah," she said shortly. "I did."

"What was it about?" he pressed her.

Madeline sighed heavily. "I don't know. Stupid ancient Egypt."

"We need to know what you saw," Ardeth pointed out. "You have to tell us, so we know where to travel next. If we don't go where Nitocris wants…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Madeline grumbled. "I'll kick the bucket. And, as we know, that would be a _tragic_ loss to this world, I'm sure."

Ardeth narrowed his eyes at her. "Do not say things like that. They are not funny."

Madeline was mildly surprised to hear him so serious. Not that he wasn't always serious, of course… he was actually almost always serious… but what she meant was that he was surprisingly angry that she had said what she had said. "Well… it's kind of funny," she replied.

He shook his head. "No. It's not."

"All right-y then," Jonathan intervened. "Let's just head back to my apartment, shall we? We can continue translating the hieroglyphics and interrogate Maddie and get a firm handle on things before we go traipsing off to who the bloody hell knows where. Sound like a plan?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan," Madeline agreed.

"Good. Off we go."

* * *

Madeline was sitting on the settee in Jonathan's sitting room, and she was starting to get annoyed. Both Jonathan and Ardeth were hovering over her, staring at her impatiently, waiting for her to explain her vision. Sighing heavily, Madeline began with, "Well first, there was this marketplace. And it was full of people."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "That's not exactly helpful, Maddie."

"Then there was a bridge," Madeline continued, purposefully making herself sound like she was talking to second-graders. "It was over the Nile."

"Go on," Ardeth urged.

"Then there was an earthquake," Madeline went on. "It knocked the bridge down. People died."

"I have heard of this," Ardeth interrupted excitedly. "In ancient times, there was a massive earthquake that destroyed a brand new bridge. Many people were killed. It was seen as an omen from the gods that the pharaoh was not fit to rule."

"Not uncommon," Jonathan added. "Many scholars have done research that shows the ancient Egyptians often interpreted natural disasters as signs from deities, as well as many other ancient cultures."

"You know, it's funny you two should mention that," Madeline said almost thoughtfully. "Because right after the earthquake, I saw a whole herd of pissed off people demanding to see the pharaoh. Then he was talking to his sister, and she was telling him that everyone wanted to overthrow him because of the earthquake…"

"Which pharaoh was it?" Jonathan interrupted.

"I don't know… I think his sister called him Merenre…"

"Aha!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Merenre Nemtyemsaf II was thought to be Nitocris' brother!"

"Great," Madeline replied, not nearly as enthused.

"They were in a palace?" Jonathan pressed.

"Well, yeah…"

"I think we are meant to go to Memphis next," Jonathan announced. "That was where the Palace was located at the end of the Sixth Dynasty."

"That is not even that far away," Ardeth murmured.

"Well, great. I'm glad we figured that all out," Madeline muttered.

"What else have you discovered from reading the texts?" Ardeth questioned Jonathan, ignoring Madeline's grumbling.

"Well, I think I know what the last two phases represent," Jonathan replied. "See, first was the sandstorm, and the beginning of Nitocris' resurrection. Then there was the earthquake, which obviously represented the destruction of the bridge and the beginning of the end for old pharaoh Menrenre. Rather important to the rest of the story, eh?"

"Wow," Madeline said sarcastically. "That's truly fascinating."

"Have you found a way to stop it?" Ardeth demanded.

Jonathan's face fell. "Uh… that would be a no, I'm afraid."

Madeline closed her eyes and leaned back against the settee. She was exhausted. And honestly, she just wanted all this to end. Not that she wanted to die… Madeline really didn't want to die… but she didn't understand what the point of all this was. So far, the only way they had found to stop Nitocris from rising would ultimately kill Madeline. She hated to think it, but she was starting to believe that the only way they'd found was in fact the only way. It would be far better to let her die now than it would be to continue this stupid quest. The longer they let this go on, the closer they got to the end of the world.

Ardeth heaved a heavy sigh. Madeline heard the creak of an armchair as he lowered himself into it. "What are we going to do?" he murmured.

Madeline opened her eyes and glanced in his direction. He was sitting in Jonathan's prized wingback chair, his face in his hands, and his shoulders hunched dejectedly. The sight made her wonder again why Ardeth was so determined to find another way to stop the resurrection. Under any other circumstance, she was sure he would have gone ahead and offed the chosen sacrifice prematurely, but here he sat, doing his best to find another path. Why? Was it because of the great respect he had for her brother that he had spoken of during their ride to Alexandria? Or was it their sort-of friendship that kept him from taking such drastic measures? She couldn't even begin to understand what he was thinking right now.

"Cheer up, old chap," Jonathan said, attempting to bring up everyone's spirits. "We'll figure something out, I'm sure. For now, let's just get going to Memphis."

And get going they would have too, if it hadn't been for a very unpleasant turn of events. Suddenly, Jonathan's sitting room window shattered into millions of tiny yet deadly little pieces, and the sound of gunfire filled the air. Madeline dove off the settee and hit the floor, rolling underneath the piece of furniture, as Jonathan ducked down behind the small dining table, flipping it on its side to protect him from the barrage of bullets whizzing through his home. Ardeth flew out of the armchair and rolled to the other side of the room, hitting the wall and taking cover behind the side of a bookshelf.

Finally, the bullets stopped. The apartment was full of broken glass. There were bullet holes all through the walls, the woodwork, and the upholstery. All the delicate glasses sitting on top of Jonathan's bar were in smithereens. Jonathan cautiously ducked his head around the sideways table. "Everyone all right?" he called tentatively.

"Peachy," Madeline retorted.

"I am fine, thank you," Ardeth added.

The words had barely left his mouth before heavy pounding came on Jonathan's door. It sounded as if someone was trying to break it down… and in all likelihood, that was probably exactly what someone was trying to do.

Next came the smash of breaking glass from the other rooms in the apartment. Jonathan got up and raced over to the shelf Ardeth had secreted himself behind as Madeline rolled out from under the settee and stumbled over to her knapsack. Ardeth leapt to his feet and drew his swords. Madeline began frantically loading her pistols. Jonathan unlocked a cupboard on the shelf and pulled out a surprisingly large hunting rifle, which he began loading as fast as he could.

Ever since their hurried departure from Alexandria, Madeline had wondered when Luke Berkley and his pals were going to come after her again. After all, Berkley had gone through a lot of trouble to get that stupid necklace around her even stupider neck, and she sincerely doubted he'd be dense enough to leave her to her own devices when it came to the resurrection of Nitocris. He couldn't possibly expect her to willingly sacrifice herself… therefore, he would of course show up again at some point to drag her off to Memphis or some other place reeking of ancient Egyptian history. Finally, the deceivingly charming anthropologist had come to take her away, and finish what he had set out to do.

When the bedroom doors came bursting open, Madeline, Ardeth, and Jonathan were more than ready for their uninvited guests. Armed and masked men rushed the sitting room, guns waving, only to be met with an onslaught of bullets from Madeline and Jonathan. Those that didn't get shot down immediately soon lost their guns to Ardeth's lightning quick swordsmanship and were then cut down so fast it was almost embarrassing.

From her place behind the bar, Madeline plugged several of the men full of bullets. All too soon, however, she ran out of bullets. Holstering her pistols, she reached for her rifle that was sitting at her feet and opened fire once again. She took out a few more of the assailants before her rifle, like her pistols, was spent.

There were still more filing in. Madeline hastily attempted to reload. Suddenly, the rifle was knocked violently from her hands and a hard fist made crushing impact with the side of her skull. Madeline toppled sideways. Her attacker pinned her to the wall by the shoulders. "I was warned you were a fighter," a snobby British accent announced. "I must say, I'm disappointed."

Madeline blinked up at the man who had his face in hers. He had blond hair and, unfortunately, very sexy gray eyes… but he was most definitely _not_ Luke Berkley.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked rudely.

He sneered. "A friend of a friend."

Madeline snorted. "Luke Berkley is _not_ my friend."

The man sneered again. "A friend of an acquaintance, then."

Madeline sneered back, and then smashed her leg into his ribs. He huffed painfully and loosened his grip on her shoulders. Madeline gave him a powerful shove and sent him flying into the bar. Her hand shot out and grabbed hold of her lost rifle, which she propelled viciously into the man's face. The blow sent him sprawling to the floor.

Before she could make another move, a coarse rope was yanked tightly against her throat. Gasping for breath, Madeline stupidly dropped her rifle and attempted to pry the rope from her windpipe. Whoever was holding the rope began dragging her across the carpet towards the main door.

The air sung directly above her head, and then there was a choking, sputtering sound from behind her. Suddenly, the rope against her neck slackened, and the man who'd been strangling her collapsed to the ground by her side. Blood was seeping all through his robes.

Ardeth towered over her, sword in hand. Suddenly, another assailant charged the pair of them. Ardeth quickly went after him with his blade. Madeline crawled back to her knapsack as quickly as possible, reloaded her rifle, and once again began filling people with holes.

A few minutes later, the men stopped charging. Several bodies littered Jonathan's sitting room floor. Jonathan surveyed the mess and sighed heavily. "My apartment," he fairly moaned.

"It could have been your head," Ardeth pointed out curtly.

Jonathan snorted, obviously unimpressed by the logic. "I'll keep that in mind. Now… anyone know how to get blood out of upholstery?"

Madeline sighed heavily, rifle lying across her lap. "Think that was the last of them? You know, for now?"

"No, definitely not," Jonathan replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that a whole troupe of them is currently storming my bar!" Jonathan returned from where he was looking out the broken sitting room window, sounding rather indignant about the whole situation.

Ardeth was silent for a mere second before announcing, "All right, we must leave, and now. Everyone up. Gather your things, and the books, and Ajwad's research. Hurry!"

"Why is everyone around me always so bossy?" Jonathan grumbled as he rushed to gather up his bags from the journey out to Hamunaptra. Neither he nor Madeline had had any time to unpack since their return. "Really, I need to make some new friends."

The three of them scrambled around the apartment, shoving things into bags, and grabbing extra weapons and ammo. As soon as they were decently packed, Jonathan exclaimed, "All right, everyone into my bedroom! We're taking the fire escape down!"

They all rushed into Jonathan's room and dashed for the window, which was broken much like the one in the sitting room. Then they climbed through the shattered remains of the glass and raced down the fire escape.

When they finally hit the ground and made a dash for Jonathan's car, they saw one of the gunmen standing directly before the yellow convertible. To everyone's disconcertment, the man opened the hood of the car, presumably to do some damage to the engine.

"Hey!" Jonathan cried out indignantly.

The man looked up quite suddenly, obviously startled. Jonathan pulled the trigger of his giant hunting rifle, and shot the man between the eyes.

The body hit the street. Both Madeline and Ardeth turned to Jonathan in mild surprise. He smiled almost self-consciously, and then perched the rifle against his shoulder, adopting something resembling a swagger as they continued the walk to his convertible.

"No one touches my car," he announced rather cockily, just as if he were Rick O'Connell.

* * *


	14. The Fireside Chat

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thank you to Music is my Muse, Jac Danvers, JCL, Typhoid-Candy, midnight-flurry, Nelle07, Lordoftheringschick2000, Pirate Hero, idkaname, and Makayla for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 14: The Fireside Chat

The car ride to Memphis was hot, bumpy, and longer than expected. When they reached the site where the ancient palace had once stood, the sun had begun to set. Jonathan adamantly refused to go gallivanting about the ruins in the dark, positive that something was lurking out there that intended the three travelers harm – be it a mummy waiting to be resurrected from the dead, or more of Luke Berkley's pals. To Madeline's surprise, Ardeth agreed with him. Both men were excited when they found a campsite set up near the ruins by several archeologists who were excavating the area. Before long, Jonathan had managed to persuade the dig team to let them stay, and the three of them were setting up a spot around the fire to spend the night.

Madeline, quite frankly, didn't care what they did at this point. It had been a long day, and she was both exhausted and cranky. The archeologists – who were friendly enough and obviously generous – made sure the three newcomers were given some dinner, and then basically ignored them. That was fine with her. Both parties were equally convinced that they had more important things to worry about than interacting with strangers.

"Feeling all right, old girl?" Jonathan asked Madeline as they sat nearby the fire, eating the food the dig team had shared with them.

She nodded. "Fine, actually," she replied.

"Well that makes one of us," he returned, sighing heavily. "Cor, it's been a long day."

"Agreed," she said.

There was a long pause as the two of them finished their dinner. Then both of them lay back on the ground and stared up at the sky.

"You know," Jonathan spoke up suddenly, sounding almost nervous. "I really am trying to figure out what all those hieroglyphics mean."

"I know you are," Madeline said back. "And trust me, I _really_ appreciate it."

They were silent a moment longer. "I know I'm not exactly… dependable," Jonathan went on. "And I know I was sort of a failure as an Egyptologist, but… well, I'm not going to be a failure this time, I promise."

Madeline turned her head to look at Jonathan in awe. "Are you actually attempting to connect on an emotional level?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh, sure, just stomp all over my heart, why don't you?" he returned.

"I'm sorry, I just… didn't quite expect… I'm sorry. I know you won't let me down, Jonathan. I know I can count on you. You're my best friend."

"And you're mine." He paused a moment, and then sighed. "Typical. I'm well into my thirties, I have no wife, no fortune, no kids, and my best friend is a woman."

"I love you too, Jonathan," Madeline retorted sardonically.

He laughed. As Jonathan lay there, guffawing, Madeline suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to join him. The two of them dissolved into almost hysterical laughter for no apparent reason. This lasted roughly five to ten minutes before they finally calmed down enough to continue their conversation.

"I do mean it though," he said as their laughter died away. "That stupid bloody necklace isn't going to be the death of you, Maddie, not if I have anything to say about it. If anything is going to be the death of you, it's going to be me."

"I feel the same away about you, Jonathan," Madeline replied.

They both laughed again. "So," Jonathan asked conversationally. "Where did our little sacred warrior friend get off to, I wonder?"

"I don't know," Madeline half grumbled. "He's probably securing our perimeter, or something."

Jonathan chuckled slightly. "Well, good then. Ardeth can cut down the bad guys, I can decipher the hieroglyphics, and the whole thing will be over before you know it. All you have to do is try not to get hit in the head by any more rocks."

"I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask."

"Jonathan, sometimes I don't where I'd be without you," Madeline announced.

He grinned. "Drunk in an alleyway somewhere with no one to hold your hair while you puke."

Madeline snorted. "Probably."

"It's quite all right. Without my trusty wingman, I'd have to give up on the leggy blondes and go back to shagging their ugly friends."

"Oh, that's nice, Jonathan," Madeline said sarcastically. "You're the epitome of class, you know that?"

"Why, yes. Yes I do."

They were silent for a moment longer. "I think I'll go to bed," Jonathan announced. "How about you?"

Madeline was very tired, this was true, but she was also a little too charged up to sleep at the moment. "Nah, I'm going to sit up a while longer."

"Suit yourself." Jonathan stood up and made his way over to the small makeshift tent the archeologists had helped them set up. "Good night, old girl."

"Night," she called after him. Jonathan gave her a last wave and ducked inside the tent.

Alone, Madeline continued to stare up at the sky. It slowly began to hit her. She was going to die.

She'd known all along, of course, that she was going to die. Ever since Jonathan had announced that she was meant to be used as a sacrifice in a resurrection ritual, she'd known she was going to die. It wasn't that she'd been in denial – it had just never really hit her before.

But Jonathan was scared. He thought he was going to lose his best friend. This much was clear from the little speech he'd just delivered about how he wasn't going to be a failure, not this time. And when Jonathan started spouting flowery words about how much she meant to him and how he wasn't going to let her down, that meant one thing and one thing only – she was in very serious trouble.

She sighed. She supposed she ought to be bursting into tears right about now, but the waterworks weren't coming. Maybe if she thought about all the things she would miss out on if she died now, _that_ would make her cry. Or maybe if she thought about the people she was going to leave behind. Or how her death might cause the end of the world.

Hang on a minute. Was she actually _trying_ to make herself cry? Wow, she was an idiot.

"Are you all right?"

Madeline jumped, startled. Standing over her was Ardeth, frowning down at her with a concerned look on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. "But could you maybe _not_ sneak up on me like that? Especially when there's an entire army of lunatics trying to _kidnap_ me?"

"I am sorry," he said earnestly. Then he sat down beside her.

Huh. Awkward. When had this started up again? Being so near to Ardeth was making her very nervous. She sighed. No matter how much time she spent with him, it just didn't seem to change. Damn his good looks, anyhow. "Where'd you get off to?" she asked, attempting to make normal conversation.

"I was just… walking around the camp," he returned elusively.

Typical. Why did she even bother? Ardeth liked playing Mr. Mysterious, obviously. He probably knew it made him like ten times more attractive than he already was. It was all a conspiracy, she was sure. He lured women in by making them think he was all sexy and noble, and then he pounced, swinging his sword around, and demanding to know why they were sneaking around Hamunaptra. By that time, they were probably so head-over-heels, goofy in love with him that they confessed on the spot. He'd probably been taught the ancient Med-jai 'make them fall in love with you so they won't destroy the world' trick long ago by his father, who'd been taught by his father before him, and so on and so on.

Wow, where the hell had _that_ come from? Come on, Madeline, what _are_ you talking about?

"Have you been feeling ill?" he asked quietly.

See, there he went again. Doing that thing where he pretended to be worried about you, and then took care of you while you were puking…

Oh, stop it, Madeline, she said to herself. You are being such an idiot.

"No, I'm fine," she replied. "I think the necklace knows that I'm going to the palace. I mean, it _senses_ that we're almost there, or something. I don't know, it's a stupid necklace – I mean, how would it know or sense anything, right? But that's ancient cursed jewelry for you, I suppose."

Perfect. She was babbling – again. Why did she always do this?

"Yes," he agreed.

Now he was doing that thing where he agreed with everything that came out of her mouth so she'd shut up. She hated it when he did that.

They were silent for a moment. "So…" Madeline murmured. "If Jonathan deciphers all the hieroglyphics and they say that the only way to save the world is to make sure I die _before_ I can be sacrificed to Nitocris, are you going to stab me?"

Ardeth looked up, startled and blinking like crazy. "What?" he asked incredulously.

Madeline couldn't help it. A smile was forming on her face despite all her attempts to reel it in. The look on his face was just really, _really_ funny.

He saw the smile, and immediately calmed down. "That is not funny," he announced.

"How is it not funny?" Madeline demanded. "I thought it was funny. You're always saying that I'm not funny right after I say funny things. It's quite exasperating."

"What is exasperating is the fact that you keep making jokes at entirely inappropriate times," Ardeth returned.

"I thought that was my strange beauty," Madeline retorted.

"You shouldn't be joking about this," he insisted. "This is serious."

"I know it's serious!" she snapped. "I've got a cursed necklace permanently fastened around my neck, a crazy anthropologist on my ass, and I'm having weirdo psychic visions like that guy back in London that Rick told me the police keep hiring to solve crimes. What a crock. Anyway, my point is that I'm in mega-shit, and I'm perfectly aware of it!"

"Then why do you keep joking about it?"

"What am I supposed to do, sit around and sulk? Bemoan my fate?" She paused and frowned. "Bemoan my fate? Where the hell did I learn that word? I _knew_ spending so much time with Evie was a bad idea! Or… maybe it was a good idea… I _do _have a bigger vocabulary now, so…"

"I just don't understand how you can be so calm about this," he interrupted. "You may die! The world could end!"

"Yeah, I know," Madeline replied. "And I'm not calm! You were there when I practically had a nervous breakdown in the pyramid! What, were you not paying attention or something? Admittedly, it wouldn't be the first time I've been ignored…"

"I saw," he interrupted… again. "I heard. You were upset. It was understandable. But it was the only moment so far in which I've seen that you've been truly worried about this. Most of the time, you say nothing. Or you make sarcastic comments. I wonder if you perhaps do not understand how serious all this is."

"Well I do," she returned. "But, hey. If I can't laugh about it, then I'll lose my mind. I've got to deal somehow. I'm not you. I can't just sit here and be all serious and worry about my sacred duty… I don't even have a sacred duty! This is the only way I know to cope."

They lapsed into silence again. "So," he said after awhile. "When you are scared, you make jokes."

She looked up at him in surprise. "I'm not scared," she said.

"Yes you are," he replied.

Madeline looked away from him and crossed her arms petulantly. "Oh, whatever. What do you know, anyway?"

She heard a slight chuckle escape his throat. "What?" she snapped, turning back to look at him. "Why are you chuckling? If the seriousness of our situation dictates that I can't make jokes, than you certainly cannot chuckle!"

He laughed. Madeline tried to remain furious a moment longer, but found herself incapable. Suddenly, she was laughing too.

This whole bursting into hysterical laughter for no apparent reason thing was happening to her much too often. Maybe laughing like an idiot was her _other_ way of coping.

Which meant that she had three different ways of coping total: she made jokes, she laughed hysterically, and she drank herself stupid... stupider, that is. With sudden surprise, Madeline realized that she hadn't had a drink - not one - since the night when the necklace had been placed around her neck. Oh, wait, scratch that - she hadn't had a drink since the morning when she'd awoken to find said necklace around her neck. She wondered what that was all about. Was it simply because she hadn't had the time to drink herself stupid? It was a definite possibility - she hadn't even had time to unpack. Or was it perhaps due to something else... the presence of Ardeth, maybe? What was it that was keeping her from falling back into her old habits?

"I hate that you can make me laugh," he announced suddenly, ending her inner monologue.

Madeline stopped laughing abruptly. "You do?"

"Yes," he said. "I am supposed to be the one with the level head. I am supposed to be concerned about the fate of the world. It is my sacred duty. And yet, you come along, and bring a smile to my face even though there is so little to smile about. I wonder if perhaps it is not right."

She was quiet for a moment. Maybe the man had a point. Maybe she wasn't taking all this seriously enough. Maybe she was just a big clown.

Finally, she spoke again. "Hey, you know what? If I can make jokes even though I'm the one who's dying, then I think it only fair that you laugh at them. Humor a girl on her deathbed, why don't you?"

He smiled. Madeline grinned back. Then she looked back up at the sky and sighed again. "Jonathan will figure out what the hieroglyphics say," she announced suddenly. "He will. He's smart, he really is. He just… hides it very, very well."

Ardeth nodded. "Yes," he agreed. "I have noticed that as well."

They were silent a moment longer. Madeline felt as though she ought to say something else reassuring regarding the fate of the world, as well as her own, but refrained. She didn't want to sound like she was trying to convince herself that it would all be all right. Ardeth already thought she was scared, and she wasn't about to prove it to him.

"I'm going to bed," she announced, getting to her feet.

"Good night," he replied.

"Good night," she said back, heading over to the makeshift tent. Jonathan was stretched out inside of the tent, snoring in a rather wheezing manner. Madeline lay down beside him and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the sound of his snores and get to sleep. As she lay there, her thoughts turned to Ardeth and their conversation beside the fire. Replaying it in her mind, she realized that it sounded a lot like the conversations they'd used to have back when Imhotep had risen from the dead, and they were all trying to put the mummy back in his grave. Much like the words they'd exchanged back then, the words they'd exchanged tonight had a certain depth to them that was often lacking in most of Madeline's other conversations.

It dawned on her then exactly how much she had missed Ardeth in the five years that had passed between this adventure and their last adventure at Hamunaptra. Funny, how someone she hadn't seen for such a long time could have such influence over her. Funny, how a girl who had always claimed to have so little going on up in her head could want to talk to a man who made her think, so much more than she wanted to talk to anyone else.

* * *


	15. The Sudden Infestation

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Big, huge, gigantic thank yous to my reviewers: Music is my Muse, Pirate Hero, Typhoid-Candy, peygoodwin, Pirate College Graduate, Lucky Fannah, Jac Danvers, kaytie orndorff, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, Ravenclaw Samurai, and thatgirl0303. Seriously love you all. I mean that, despite the rather long time since I last updated. I'm sorry, you guys! Thanks again, and enjoy!

Not enough Madeline O'Connell in your life? Check out idkaname's Second Sands and read their take on Madeline and Ardeth's relationship, as well as the next generation of mummy-hunters.

* * *

Chapter 15: The Sudden Infestation

When Madeline awoke the next morning, she discovered something very shocking. Jonathan was already wide awake. In fact, it appeared that he had been awake for some time, and was now hunched diligently over both his old textbooks and Dr. Kadar's notebook.

She blinked at him, slowly sitting up. "Jonathan?" she asked. "Are you awake before the crack of noon and doing actual work?"

He started, apparently not expecting to hear her voice, but quickly relaxed and returned, "Well there's no reason to sound so bloody surprised, Maddie. I'll have you know I get up before noon quite a lot."

"Getting up early so you can sneak out of some poor girl's apartment before she wakes up does _not_ count," Madeline replied. "Especially if the minute you get back to your place you just go back to bed."

Jonathan sighed loudly and, with the air of someone being harassed, announced, "I am completely under-appreciated."

Madeline was about to retort, but found herself interrupted by the arrival of Ardeth. "The archeologists are going out into the palace now," he announced.

Madeline thought she could detect a sour note to his voice when he spoke the word 'archeologists.' She supposed she couldn't blame him for disliking archeologists. After all, they did seem to give him and the rest of the Med-jai enormous trouble.

"Should we go with them?" she asked uncertainly.

Ardeth stared out towards the ruins of Memphis, looking pensive. "I am not sure," he said finally. "I hesitate to bring about another of your visions, and the chaos that seems to accompany them. We are moving too quickly through the phases, and have not had enough time to uncover the answers we need."

Madeline couldn't argue with that, she supposed. As far as she knew, they were no closer to figuring out how to save both the world and her life than they had been the day Jonathan had figured out exactly what was going on. She sighed inwardly. There they went again, right back to the subject of her dying. What a great way to start the morning.

Ardeth's voice grew quiet. "I wish Ajwad was here," he murmured. "Perhaps he already knew what needs to be done."

"Sitting right here," Jonathan interjected, sounding rather put out. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ardeth. As if I wasn't every bit as capable of deciphering hieroglyphics as your precious Ajwad."

"I never said you weren't," Ardeth retorted. "I did not mean to offend. All I meant was that Ajwad may have already known how to stop Nitocris when he died. He had so much more time than we do now."

"Yes, well, I have learned a few new things since we last discussed the hieroglyphics, you know," Jonathan said, still sounding rather ruffled by the mention of Ajwad Kadar. "For starters, I know what the remaining five phases are going to be."

Madeline's interest was immedietaly incited. "Really? What are they?"

"A plague of snakes, a massive flood, a fire, and a 'howling storm,' which I suppose is just like any other storm, really, except with much more howling."

Madeline counted the phases Jonathan had recited on her fingers, and then rolled her eyes. "Jonathan, that's only four."

"Yes, I know! It's just that the fourth phase – you know, the one after the snakes – is a little bit… iffy."

"What do you mean, iffy?" Madeline demanded.

Jonathan sighed heavily, sounding completely exasperated. "Well, quite frankly, these bloody ancient Egyptians wrote like blooming gypsy fortune tellers! I mean, I can translate this garbage into English, but that doesn't always mean I fully understand the English! Bloody riddles, is what all this mumbo-jumbo turned out to be."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, take this line for example. It was found on the wall of the hiding place: 'Our queen must first drink our pure blood. Should soiled blood be spilt, it shall be as poison to her, and treat her thusly.' I mean, really, what the bloody hell does that all mean?"

"Thusly?" Madeline exclaimed incredulously. "Who the hell says 'thusly'? Are you sure you translated that right? I didn't think 'thusly' even had an Egyptian counterpart."

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Well, of course it doesn't translate _literally_. The language _is_ thousands of years old, you know."

Madeline huffed. "Well, is that supposed to explain the fourth phase? Because I don't get it either."

"No, that was something else. Here, listen to this one: 'The queen shall rise by the hands of those that are her own.' I mean, really…"

"Jonathan!" Ardeth interrupted, his tone suggesting that he was losing his patience. "_Please _read the part where the fourth phase is described."

"All right, all right. No bloody patience, either of you." Jonathan let out a heavy sigh and read, "And then, the poison of their snake having failed them, they turned instead to their own devices; and having succeeded, angered the queen so much that when she awaits her own resurrection, she will resurrect others to bring vengeance upon her people."

Madeline and Ardeth stared at Jonathan for a moment, speechless. Finally, Madeline spoke up. "Yeah… I don't get it."

"That makes two of us, then. Ardeth?"

He shook his head slowly. "I am afraid that the passage makes little sense to me as well." Ardeth paused a moment, and then frowned. "What about stopping the resurrection? Have you had any luck with that?"

Jonathan avoided both Ardeth's and Madeline's eyes when he murmured. "No, not yet. Sorry."

A silence fell over the three of them. "Well," Madeline announced. "I guess there's no point in waiting around any longer. Let's head over to Memphis, kick off the third phase, get me a vision, and get the hell out of here before I end up puking and passing out. Puking and passing out is just no fun when I haven't been drinking."

Jonathan looked hesitant to agree, but did so anyway. "I'm afraid she's right, Ardeth, old buddy. Let's move out!"

Ardeth did not look happy about it, but he nodded his assent and, without a word, made his way swiftly towards the palace. Madeline and Jonathan followed close behind.

Freaking lovely. Madeline couldn't help but sink into a rather petulant mood as she made her way towards the ancient palace. Neither of her companions were helping lift her out of said mood either, seeing as Jonathan was grumbling under his breath about the heat and wiping his supposedly sweaty forehead about every ten seconds, while Ardeth was simply walking in front of her silently, with an expression so serious that it was a shock to see even on his usually stony countenance. He seemed to be in a mood every bit as petulant as Madeline's. Which, in her foul frame of mind, only served to irritate her even more. Where the hell did he get off being so pissed anyway? She had _way_ more right to complain than he did – if you asked her.

Whatever. She turned her thoughts to what Jonathan had learned from his early morning perusal of Dr. Kadar's research. So she'd have to brave fires, floods, and storms before they'd finally let her just keel over, huh? And snakes. Madeline shuddered involuntarily. Nasty little bastards, those snakes. All slithery and hissy and… poisonous. Damn, did she hate snakes. Hated them even more than she hated camels.

Typical. Nothing in her life was ever easy – why should she expect dying to be any different?

"Bloody hell," Jonathan murmured beside her.

"This is Memphis," Ardeth announced, gesturing at the sight before them.

Madeline had a hard time keeping her foul mood once she laid eyes on the ancient city. It was in ruins, true, but that did little to diminish the beauty of the once royal palace. She could only imagine what it must have been like back when it was whole, with nobility and servants wandering around the grounds, and the doors being guarded by the Med-jai… Ardeth's ancestors. All of whom were probably every bit as sexy as he was, only they probably wore far less clothing… suddenly, the vision of Ardeth shirtless appeared in her mind and no matter how hard Madeline tried, she couldn't get it to go away. Admittedly, she wasn't trying very hard, as the vision wasn't exactly what one would call displeasing…

She rolled her eyes at herself. Great. This just kept getting better and better. Stop thinking about Ardeth shirtless right now, young lady! Think about… think about dying! Remember dying? You're going to be sacrificed to an evil Egyptian pharaoh who wants to be resurrected so she can rule the world?

Kind of like how Imhotep rose from the dead five years ago and tried to sacrifice Evie in order to bring back his dead lover Anck-su-namun, before _he_ tried to take over the world. Five years ago, when she had met Ardeth. When he'd been sexy even while trying to kill her. The beginning of the frighteningly deep conversations between the two of them… which admittedly, probably weren't _all_ that deep, but were still deeper than what she was used to. And then there was the scene at Hamunaptra, when she'd helped Ardeth fight off all those evil mummies, and then the two of them had kissed. Kissed three times, actually, but it wasn't like she was counting or anything.

Damn it. She really was hopeless, wasn't she?

She could still remember it. His hands on her arms, the warmth of his lips on hers, the feeling of his beard rubbing against her face…

A loud sizzling sound next to her foot jolted Madeline out of her reverie. She glanced down in surprise, and saw what looked a hell of a lot like some kind of a viper. The fact that she was next to a snake didn't register immediately – in fact, she even looked away and then back before fully realizing the threat.

The snake lunged forward, and she screamed, leaping backwards. She stumbled and hit a hard body behind her. A steadying arm wrapped around her waist. Then she saw the flash of sunlight on metal in her peripheral vision, and Ardeth's blade hit the snake with a lightening quickness, cleaving the serpent in two.

"Are you all right?" Ardeth demanded, looking down at her.

Madeline stared up at the owner of the arm wrapped around her waist. "Uh-huh," she replied shakily.

He helped her right herself. "That was a saw-scaled viper," he announced. "They are very dangerous."

"Thanks," Madeline retorted sarcastically. "My fear of snakes is now completely cured."

The three of them continued their wanderings through the ancient city, trying to stay away from where the archeologists were digging. As they walked, Madeline's brow furrowed into a frown.

"Hey, Jonathan?" she asked.

"Yes, Maddie, dearest?"

"So these phase things… we're on the third one now, right?"

"Right."

"And the third one will be happening here, right? And I'll get a vision, right?"

"Yes, Maddie, very good."

"So… is the third one snakes?"

Jonathan stopped in his tracks. He turned back around and gawked at her. "Oh, bloody hell, you don't think…"

Madeline sighed heavily. "Great," she grumbled. "The third one _is_ snakes."

There was a loud hiss. Both Madeline and Jonathan jumped half a foot in the air. All three of them swiveled around. Behind them sat five rather large snakes, menacingly dark against the lighter dirt surrounding the ruins. Their heads were arched up, their bodies coiled tight on the ground, and they stared at Madeline, Ardeth, and Jonathan with black, empty eyes, their heads bobbing back and forth.

Madeline took a deep, shaky breath. "Oh, crap," she sighed.

Jonathan glanced back in the direction they had been heading. "Uh-oh," he murmured.

Both Madeline and Ardeth turned around quickly to see the source of Jonathan's distress. Five more snakes coming from the opposite direction were staring at them in a way that said: People. It's what's for dinner.

Madeline instinctively moved closer to Ardeth. Oh, how she hated snakes.

Suddenly, blinding hot pain burned its way through her skull. Madeline gave a faint cry, her hand going up to cradle her forehead as her knees buckled. Ardeth caught her around the waist, lifting her against him. Jonathan backed into Ardeth's side, looking around him in a fair state of panic. "I don't particularly care for the looks of this," he announced, his voice sounding rather high-strung.

"Madeline?" Ardeth asked almost huskily in her ear. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, trying to ignore the horrible crippling pain in her head. "I'm going to have a stupid freaking vision," she grumbled.

"There's more snakes coming!" Jonathan exclaimed.

"What?" Madeline cried. She glanced around frantically and found that Jonathan was more than right about that one. Now, instead of sitting around lazily, looking dangerous, the ten snakes had grown into what looked to her like hundreds, and were slithering towards them, hissing loudly and threateningly.

The pain suddenly intensified, and Madeline nearly fell face first into the sand. Ardeth's arm tightened around her waist, pressing her back into his chest. Madeline barely noticed, as the pain had suddenly become nearly intolerable. A moan escaped her throat, and she grabbed the bridge of her nose in a rather useless attempt to relieve the agony. She felt her eyes cross. Then, suddenly, the ruined palace before her melted away and became regal, elegant, and whole once again.

She blinked, and the vision was gone.

Then she cried out as the necklace started to burn the skin around her neck.

"Madeline?" she heard Ardeth ask in concern.

"When I pass out," she told him, her voice far from steady. "Don't you dare let those things slither all over me."

"What?"

Too late to elaborate. The burning sensation grew worse, and a brand new horrible pain seared through her head. Her vision faded away, and she collapsed heavily against Ardeth. She was gone.

* * *

The palace at Memphis buzzed with life. Night had fallen, and the grounds and rooms were lit with torchlight. Staff hurried back and forth across the palace, heeding orders from the royalty that lived within the walls.

Merenre was tired and wanted to sleep. The day had been long and stressful. Everyone was upset about the earthquake. Royal officials from all over the area had been stopping by and demanding an audience. The long and short of it was that no one thought he was fit to rule any longer. The general consensus was that he should step down.

But he had no heir. Had not held his seat on the throne long enough to produce one. If he were to step down, the throne would go to his sister, Nitocris. And if a woman were allowed to take over the rule of the country, he predicted that chaos would soon follow.

He had flat out refused.

Now, as he pulled down the sheets of his bed, a loud hiss rang out through the chamber, and an Egyptian asp reared its ugly head. With a great yell, Merenre leapt back from the bed and reached for the nearest weapon in the room – a large vase.

He brought the vase down on the asp's head. The snake lay crushed in a stomach-turning mess on his bed.

"Brother? Brother, what is it?" His sister rushed into the room, half panicked.

He pointed at the mess. "Someone has taken to leaving snakes in my bed."

There was a blinding flash of light. Suddenly, Merenre and two bodyguards were sitting astride camels and racing through the night across a vast stretch of land, broken up by tall looming pyramids that cast unearthly shadows on the ground. One pyramid seemed to gleam red in the light of the moon. The other had a very unusual shape that made it look like a young child's simplistic drawing of a house. The three men rounded the corner of the pyramid with the strange shape, and pulled their camels up short.

There was a great cry. The men vanished from sight. Blood splattered on the wall of the pyramid.

People stormed down a hallway, carrying torches and weapons. Then water rushed very suddenly into a banquet hall. No one escaped. Flames blazed all around a young woman. A door shut heavily.

A mummy was lowered into a shallow grave. Suddenly, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

* * *

Madeline's eyes flew open. She was lying on top of a large rock. A rock of all things. Around her, she could hear Ardeth and Jonathan running through the ruins, presumably dodging and trying to kill snakes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ardeth swinging his sword around, and Jonathan trying to climb on top of what was once a wall.

She looked up at the sky – and found herself staring right into the cold, empty eyes of a large snake. It looked a lot like an Egyptian asp.

Madeline let out a bloodcurdling scream. She tried to back away from the creature, but it drew back its head with a hiss, and lunged for her neck.

Ardeth's sword sliced neatly through the snake, knocking its head to the ground. Madeline sat up quickly, shaking, and let out a whimper. "Oh my god," she exclaimed.

Ardeth gripped her around the waist, yanking her off the rock, and swung his sword again. A cobra she hadn't even seen was suddenly lying in two pieces right where she'd been sitting.

Madeline could feel the hysteria building inside her. She hated snakes with a passion. "Oh, no…" she moaned.

"Calm down," Ardeth ordered.

Jonathan, now perched precariously on top of the low rock wall, was using his long hunting rifle to bash in the heads of the snakes milling around at the base of his fortress. Madeline stared around the ruins with wide, horrified eyes. The slithery, poisonous, ugly little bastards were goddamn _everywhere_.

With great difficulty, she repressed the urge to climb on top of Ardeth.

Ardeth had pushed her behind him while he swung his sword at the snakes at their feet. He backed her up against the rock wall that Jonathan was sitting on top of. Jonathan was cussing out the attacking snakes in a very creative manner – or possibly just in a British manner, Madeline wasn't entirely sure – as well as still bonking the little monsters on their heads with his gun. With a surprising ease that came from panic, Madeline leapt on top of the wall and perched beside her best friend, attempting valiantly to control her breathing. Ardeth clambered up next to her. For one horrible moment, Madeline envisioned him tripping over his long black robes and toppling into the snake pit below, but in typical Ardeth fashion he landed perfectly, kept his balance with very little effort, and began slicing away at the snakes at the foot of the wall.

That was just so unfair. Why couldn't _everyone_ be as much of an embarrassing klutz as she was?

A loud hiss beside her caused her to scream and tumble back into Ardeth. He caught her and barely managed to stay upright on the wall. However, seeing as he _was_ the unshakeable Ardeth Bay, he miraculously pulled it off. The snake that had managed to get up on the wall was immediately sliced in two by his sword.

"Maddie, would you get quit screaming and do something useful?" Jonathan exclaimed, still savagely beating the serpents into submission.

"Like what?" she shouted at him, half hysterical, as Ardeth returned to slicing and dicing the snakes below them.

"Like pull out your pistols and start shooting," Ardeth retorted, a trace of annoyance in his voice.

Madeline blinked. Huh. That actually wasn't a bad idea. Stupid crippling fear and its ability to turn her hysterical and useless.

Taking a deep steadying breath, she pulled her pistols from their holsters, aimed, and – oh, this wasn't going to work. A loud squeak escaped her lips as she stared down at the swarming mass of snakes slithering over the ground below her.

Maybe she should close her eyes. That could work, right?

She took another deep breath, pointed her pistols in the general direction of the attacking serpents, and closed her eyes.

"Maddie, what the hell are you doing?" Jonathan shouted. "Don't close your bloody eyes!"

Her eyes immediately opened. Both Jonathan and Ardeth were staring at her like she was an idiot. "Oh, shut up and stop looking at me!" she hollered at them.

They complied with her request, and returned to fighting off the snakes. She took a third deep breath – and then wondered vaguely why the hell she was bothering, seeing as the first two had done about jack squat for her. She gave her head a little shake, and aimed her pistols at the snakes below, squinting her eyes enough so that she could still see, but the snakes swam together in a dark indistinguishable mass.

Then she pulled the triggers.

Soon, between Ardeth's swordsmanship, Jonathan's clubbing, and Madeline's shooting, the snakes had either all died or scattered. Madeline's pistols fell from her hands, hitting the ground with heavy clunks, and she let out a shaky sigh.

"Bloody hell," Jonathan murmured, climbing down carefully from the wall.

Ardeth leapt down as well, and then gripped Madeline around the waist, lowering her to the ground beside him. "I wonder what became of the archeologists," he murmured darkly.

Madeline froze. She had completely forgotten about the archeologists. All those snakes… was it conceivable to hope that their camping buddies of the night before had survived the sudden infestation?

She felt mildly guilty all of a sudden. True, if the archeologists had met a rather sticky end, it wasn't _really_ her fault. She certainly hadn't put that stupid necklace on herself and attempted to bring a pharaoh back from the dead – _that_ had been all Luke Berkley. Still, if she hadn't shown her face at their dig site, nothing would have happened to the innocent scholars.

"I see them," Jonathan announced suddenly. "They certainly look all right to me. Bloody terrified, but not dead, so…"

Madeline and Ardeth followed his finger with their eyes and saw exactly what he was talking about. The archeologists were running across the ancient ruins towards their camp, looking panicked and hysterical. Madeline couldn't blame them – she'd been just as much of a mess earlier.

Well, at least they weren't dead. That was one thing that wouldn't be plaguing her conscience.

The three of them began the long walk back to the car. "What was your vision about this time?" Ardeth asked.

Madeline sighed heavily. She didn't want to talk about her stupid vision. "Well, um… the pharaoh – Merenre or whatever – he was going to bed, and then there was a snake in his bed, so… anyway, he killed the snake, and he was talking to his sister, and then he was riding a camel across the desert or something… I don't know… and there were these pyramids and everything, and then I think he died."

"You think?" Jonathan asked incredulously.

"Well, it wasn't entirely clear. He was there one moment, and then he was gone, and then there was blood on the pyramid wall." Jonathan continued to stare at her incredulously. Even Ardeth was frowning at her. "Oh, stop it! I don't know, ok? I… just… these stupid, stupid visions! They don't make any damn sense! Why the hell do they have to be so ridiculously vague and aggravating?"

"Because if they made sense, then they wouldn't be visions, Maddie," Jonathan returned. "They'd be… informational pamphlets or something."

She rolled her eyes. "Witty, Jonathan."

"What did these pyramids look like?" Ardeth questioned her. "Obviously they must have been important. Perhaps that is where we are meant to go next."

Madeline heaved an irritated sigh. "Oh, I don't know… I guess one of them looked red. And the other one had this really funny shape to it. Like it wasn't really a pyramid, you know? But it was? It looked like… like…"

"You mean the Bent Pyramid!" Jonathan exclaimed.

She blinked at him. "Ok. Sure. Why not?"

It was Jonathan's turn to roll his eyes. "You do, Maddie, you mean the bloody Bent Pyramid. It was built in Dahshur during the Fourth Dynasty. That's where we have to go next! Dahshur!"

"Great," Madeline grumbled as they reached the convertible. "Can we go tomorrow? I'm beat."

"We most certainly cannot," Ardeth returned.

"Why not?"

"Well, Maddie, my apartment's sort of… not safe," Jonathan pointed out.

"We will go to a neighboring town or city of the necropolis," Ardeth announced. "You can rest the night. Then we will go on to Dahshur."

"Yippee," Madeline mumbled, obviously not enthused. She opened the back door of the yellow convertible and almost slid into the backseat. However, the sight of a very large, very dangerous looking snake coiled up on the seat stopped her cold.

Madeline let out a shriek and threw herself behind Ardeth. "Kill it!" she demanded.

Ardeth complied with her request. The sword came out, flew through the air so fast the eye could barely follow it, and then sliced the snake neatly in two.

"There," he said, turning to her as he sheathed the weapon. "Are you satisfied?"

Madeline eyed the dead snake on the backseat. "No," she replied. "You have to get it out of there."

"I have to what?"

"Well, I'm not sitting back there with a gross, gory dead snake!"

"Then knock it out of the car and into the dirt!"

"Are you kidding me? I can't clean that up! I won't!"

Ardeth turned to Jonathan, who held up his hands and announced, "Don't look at me, mate. I'm not touching that bloody thing!"

The Med-jai chieftain sighed heavily, looking extremely exasperated. He stared at the dead snake for a moment. "And so, I suppose that means it is up to me."

"Yep," Madeline replied.

He glared at her out of the corner of his eye. She swallowed and took a step back from him. Then, heaving another sigh, Ardeth pulled the cloth he sometimes wore over his face loose from his turban, and took a step forward. Reaching into the backseat of the car, he scooped up the dead snake and tossed it out into the dirt.

The mess cleaned up, he turned to Madeline and held his hand out towards the open car door as if he were some sort of doorman. "There," he said, sounding extremely irritated. "Are you happy now?"

She gave a short, nervous nod, and leapt into the backseat. Ardeth slammed the door closed behind her and stalked around to the other side of the car, climbing into the passenger seat. He was clearly annoyed.

Madeline and Jonathan exchanged looks. Silently, they agreed not to bother Ardeth for the rest of the day.

* * *


	16. The Whiskey

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Nelle07, Pirate Hero, RitualKitten, Page-Mistress, kaytieorndorff, idkaname, AnnabelleLee13194, danielle, Jac Danvers, Lady La-sara, Typhoid-Candy, thatredheadedchick, Padme4000, and Hakujou Enputi-shigai for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 16: The Whiskey

The yellow convertible parked in front of an old hotel on a dusty road. Jonathan climbed out of the driver's seat and headed into the lobby, intent on making reservations for the night. Ardeth climbed out of the car as well, and opened the door to the car's backseat.

Madeline blinked up at him, surprised. After the scene at Memphis earlier that day, she hadn't expected Ardeth to be so polite to her. Muttering a thank you, Madeline crawled out of the backseat and stood up on the sidewalk outside. Ardeth closed the door as she brushed some of the dust from her clothes.

The two of them took off in the direction Jonathan had gone, slowly entering the hotel lobby. It was a rather shabby hotel, nothing like the palace they'd stayed in back at Alexandria, and Madeline immediately decided she didn't like the looks of the place. She doubted it was all that clean, and the man behind the desk looked like the sort of person who made the majority of his money by ripping off his customers.

Ardeth must have decided he didn't think the hotel was an ideal resting spot either, because she was suddenly all too aware of how close he was standing to her side. His hand hovered over the small of her back, not quite touching her but still much too close for comfort. Madeline supposed the gesture was sweet, and if she was a normal person maybe she would have felt safe or protected or some other such nonsense, but instead all she felt was embarrassed by his proximity.

"_How _much do you want?" Jonathan was asking the man behind the desk, aghast. "Look, chap, this place isn't exactly Buckingham Palace. I've paid less for more, if you get my drift."

"It is the only hotel in the area," the man replied, smiling greasily at Jonathan. "If you do not care to pay so much, feel free to sleep outdoors on the ground."

"Exquisite customer service you got here," Jonathan snapped. The man's greasy smile didn't falter. Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Oh, fine," he grumbled, giving the man the requested payment.

"Thank you very much, sir," the man said, grinning happily. "Here are your keys. Enjoy your stay."

"Yeah right," Jonathan murmured sarcastically, pocketing the offered keys. "Come along, Maddie, Ardeth. Let's go settle into our rattrap, shall we?"

The three of them clambered up the creaky, dusty steps beside the check-in desk, and made their way hesitantly down the hall. It was dark and cramped, and had a rather musty smell. The air was hot and heavy, and Madeline was immediately sorry she'd asked to put off the trip out to Dahshur until the following day.

Jonathan eventually found their room, and unlocked the door. The three of them entered to find a tiny cramped room with only one bed – a bed that had a very saggy mattress, as a matter of fact – and a settee that was fairly large, but too big for the room. A small washroom was connected to the bedroom by a creaking wooden door.

Ardeth sighed heavily. "I suppose I will sleep on the settee."

"That's the spirit, old chap!" Jonathan grinned, smacking Ardeth on the back. His grin quickly faded at the glower Ardeth sent his way.

Madeline surveyed the room. There was one window, hung with dark heavy curtains. She crossed the room, doing her best not to trip over the furniture, and pulled the drapes open. Sunlight streamed into the tiny room.

"I think it actually looks worse in the daylight," Jonathan announced.

Madeline sat down on the bed. "I think I hate this place," she said.

There was a short silence. "I'm going to go out for a little walk," Jonathan spoke up. "Look for some food or something. Be back in a bit."

With that, Jonathan had disappeared through the door, leaving Madeline and Ardeth by themselves.

For a moment, the room was dead quiet. Madeline sat stiffly on the mattress and stared out the dirty window. After awhile, she heard the rustling of Ardeth's robes as he crossed the room and took a seat on the settee.

She looked over in his direction. He caught her eye. "I sent Horus back to Yasir," he announced.

Madeline nodded. "Ok."

They lapsed into another long awkward silence.

"So, uh…" Madeline tried desperately to think of something to say to him. Unfortunately, all she could think to say was, "Sorry about the panic attack back at Memphis. I, um… I don't like snakes. They're… they're gross."

Ardeth nodded. "I noticed that."

He'd noticed that. Well, of course he had. Jerk.

"It is all right," he went on. "We are all afraid of something."

"Yeah?" she asked curiously. "What are you afraid of?"

He met her eyes. "The end of the world."

Madeline snorted. "Well, duh, most people are. In fact, I'd say that's a pretty general across-the-board concern. I meant, what silly little stupid thing are you afraid of?"

"I am not afraid of silly stupid little things," he replied. "If I were, I would not like you."

Madeline's jaw dropped. "Did you just call me a silly stupid little thing?"

He gave her a small smile. "It was a joke."

She stared at him with narrowed eyes.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"I think you meant that," she announced.

He smiled again. "No. I am sorry. If I had known you would take such offense…"

"Whatever," Madeline interrupted. "I have an idea. Let's not talk about this anymore."

"All right," he returned accommodatingly. "What would you like to talk about?"

Madeline stared at him. Was he serious? Since when did Ardeth actually _want_ to talk? He was more the strong and silent type. Anyway, Madeline didn't really want to talk about anything. She didn't want to think about anything either. Actually, she really wanted to just curl up in a ball on the sagging and uncomfortable mattress and go to sleep. Or, if she must interact with Ardeth, then she'd prefer to interact with him on a non-verbal level; meaning, of course, that she would prefer physical interaction.

She wished she could stop thinking along those lines. It was impractical, really. Even if she had the confidence and the necessary skills in order to interact physically with anyone, it would certainly not end up being Ardeth. She doubted he was interested in that sort of thing at the moment – and possibly not ever.

He was staring at her with a faint look of incredulity on his face. That's when Madeline realized she'd been silent for a little too long.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Ha. Not really.

He continued frowning at her. "You are acting rather strange. More so than usual."

More so than usual? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"You think I'm strange?" she asked.

He shrugged. "On occasion."

"Hey, if anyone's strange, here, it's you, buddy," Madeline retorted.

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"Why is that?"

Huh. Good question. Why was that indeed?

"I don't know," she snorted, shrugging and rolling her eyes. "You just are. You… you're all quiet and… and…"

"I see no point in speaking when I have nothing to say."

Oh, crap. Now he was being all defensive. "Well, yeah, but… I don't know; you called me strange first!"

A small smile was forming on his face now, despite his obvious attempts to stop it. Madeline smirked. "Ha!" she announced. "I see that. You're smiling."

He let the smile form completely, but he kept his eyes trained on the thin, stained carpet beneath him. Madeline's smirk faded a little. They fell silent again. Suddenly awkward, Madeline began bouncing rather childishly up and down on the old mattress. "So, uh…" she blew air up into her hair, and kicked her legs a little. "Want to play a game?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh," Madeline shrugged. "That's cool. I didn't have a game to play anyway."

She detected another small smile on Ardeth's face. This time, she chose to ignore it. They fell silent again. Madeline racked her brain for something else to say. "Um…" she chewed on her lip. "So…"

"Do you always have to talk?" he asked suddenly.

Madeline blinked at him. "Well, um… I guess not." She frowned. "What is that supposed to mean, anyway? Are you telling me to shut up?"

He shook his head. "I only meant you can never sit still and say nothing. You always have to fill up the space with words."

"Oh," Madeline frowned again. "And… that annoys you."

Ardeth raised his eyebrow. "I did not say that. I am just curious as to why you dislike silence so much."

"I don't dislike silence," Madeline replied. "I just… I don't know. Sometimes when everything gets all quiet it gets all awkward. So I have to say something and make it… less awkward. Although that doesn't always help. Sometimes that just makes it worse. Huh. I don't know why I do that, actually."

Ardeth didn't say anything. Madeline tried to think of something else to say – until she remembered what Ardeth had said about her and her inability to sit quietly. Suddenly, she was determined to keep quiet.

After they had sat there for a little while, Ardeth stood and made his way back to the door. "I am going out," he announced. "I will be back."

"Um… ok," Madeline murmured. "Bye."

He opened the door and walked out into the hall. The door shut behind him, leaving Madeline frowning after him from the bed. He'd been gone for mere seconds when the door opened again and Jonathan walked in with two bags in his hands.

"I've got dinner!" he announced, flopping on the bed beside her.

Madeline cocked her eyebrow at him. "Yeah? What'd you get?"

Jonathan opened up one of the bags and began digging out huge sandwiches. "I guarantee they'll be good," he said. "I already tasted mine."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Where'd Ardeth get off to?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I think he went for a walk or something."

Jonathan shrugged. "Well, his dinner will be here when he gets back. And I got him his very own bottle of juice."

"His very own bottle of juice?"

"That's right," Jonathan said with a maniacal gleam to his eye. He reached into the other bag and pulled out a long glass bottle filled with amber liquid. "And for you and me, I brought whiskey."

Madeline stared first at the bottle, and then at Jonathan. A slow grin spread across her face. "Jonathan," she smirked. "This is why I love you."

He laughed and began working on opening the bottle. "A drink with your meal, Maddie, m'dear?"

"You know it."

* * *

Two sandwiches and quite a bit of whiskey later, Madeline and Jonathan were lying around the motel room, laughing like a couple of idiots. Madeline was literally rolling around on the lumpy mattress, and Jonathan had some how ended up on the floor, on his back. He looked like a turtle stuck on its back.

"Maddie!" Jonathan shouted. "You can't die! Know why?"

"Tell me!" she shouted back.

"Because this will only be half as much fun if I start doing it alone!" Jonathan replied, far too merrily considering the sentiment.

Madeline snorted and collapsed limply on the bed. "Thanks a lot, Jonathan."

The door swung open and Ardeth marched into the room. Both Madeline and Jonathan immediately stopped their mad giggling and sat up straight, forcing their faces into somber expressions. "Hey Ardeth, old pal," Jonathan greeted him.

Ardeth stopped by the door, closing it slowly behind him. He frowned at the two of them. "Is everything all right in here?" he asked.

"Yep," Madeline replied far too quickly.

"Everything's peachy," Jonathan added.

Ardeth did not look convinced. "Jonathan brought you dinner!" Madeline announced, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, yes," Jonathan said. He suddenly snorted and giggled before swallowing and burying his face in the grocery bag. After a few moments of fishing around, he pulled out a sandwich and a large bottle containing fruit juice. "This is for you, chap!"

Ardeth accepted the meal. "Is this… juice?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yep," Jonathan replied. "Juice."

"Thank you."

Ardeth sat down on the settee and began unwrapping the sandwich. Madeline and Jonathan stared at him. For a short while, Ardeth ignored him, but finally grew impatient. 'What are you staring at?" he demanded.

Both of them looked away immediately. "Nothing," Madeline said.

Ardeth sighed heavily. "You are drunk, aren't you?"

"How the bloody hell did you know that?" Jonathan exclaimed. He frowned, and then added as an afterthought, "And we're not drunk, we're tipsy!"

Ardeth examined his sandwich. "For one, the two of you are acting very strange. Secondly, you, Jonathan, are on the floor. Third of all, I can see the whiskey bottle."

"Damn it," Madeline said. "I knew he was smarter than we are."

Jonathan laughed out loud like a maniac at this comment. Madeline soon found herself joining him. Ardeth did not look amused.

"Jonathan, have you finished translating the hieroglyphics?" he asked.

Suddenly, Jonathan looked very guilty. "Um… not exactly. I'm… I'm taking a study break."

"How long of a break?" Ardeth asked pointedly.

Jonathan swallowed. "Um… well… I'm sort of playing it by ear, you see."

Ardeth nodded. His expression was not exactly a pleasant one. "You do realize that the third phase is now complete," he said. "Which, of course, means that we have only four more. And that, of course, means that in a very short period of time, Madeline will be expected by Nitocris as a sacrifice. And that, of course, means that she will die."

Jonathan now looked extremely guilty. Madeline frowned. She didn't care for the way Ardeth was bullying her friend. "Hey," she spoke up. "You leave him alone. It's really not fair that it's all on his shoulders anyway. Besides, it doesn't even matter. Even once he _does_ decipher all those hieroglyphics, he still won't be able to find a way to save me. There isn't one."

Ardeth fairly glowered at her. "You do not know that," he replied.

"Yes I do."

"No. You don't."

"Yes, I do. I am majorly fucked, and it's mostly of my own doing. So, really, you should just allow me to enjoy my last bottle of whiskey and let me die in peace. Stop dragging me all over stupid Egypt!"

Ardeth stared at her. Jonathan gaped at her with his mouth wide open. "Maddie, darling, don't talk like that," Jonathan said.

"Why not?" she challenged him. "It's true!"

"We don't know that yet!" Jonathan protested.

"Whatever," Madeline huffed, crossing her arms. "You want to look, go ahead and look. But don't mind me if I get falling down drunk! Jonathan, hand me the whiskey!"

"Don't mind if I do," he replied, taking a long swig from the bottle, and then handing it over to an impatient Madeline. She snatched it from his hand and threw her head back, chugging down long gulps of the amber liquid. When she'd finally finished swilling the alcoholic beverage, she withdrew the bottle from her lips and gave her head a shake, making a face.

Ardeth stared at both of them, looking annoyed and disappointed. Madeline ignored his look of disapproval. Jonathan appeared to ignore him as well – however, Madeline seriously doubted that he'd even noticed the expression on Ardeth's face.

The Med-jai chieftain shook his head almost sadly, and then carried his dinner over to the low dresser beside the door, sitting on the lone desk chair in the room, and ate his sandwich. Madeline knew he was ignoring them back.

She didn't care. Madeline turned to Jonathan and gave him a rather wicked grin. "First to the finish, then?" she asked, waving the whiskey bottle in his face.

Jonathan wore a wicked grin of his own. "My dear, I _always_ finish first."

* * *

It was only a few hours later, but most of the whiskey was gone. Jonathan was sprawled out on the settee, and he was barely conscious. "Maddie," he moaned, squinting as though the lamplight hurt his eyes. "Maddie, I need to talk to you!"

Madeline could hear Ardeth grumbling under his breath, but couldn't make out the words. She ignored him and tottered over to Jonathan's side. "Jonathan, keep your voice down," she hissed.

He blinked at her. "Fine! I need to talk to you!"

Madeline knelt at his side. "What?" she asked in a loud whisper.

"I need to tell you something," he murmured.

Madeline was very drunk indeed. She knew that, and she accepted it. It had been her goal, after all, and that goal had been accomplished. However, as Jonathan had predicted, he had 'finished' first. He was drunker, and he was about to pass out.

"You can't die," he whispered.

"Ok," Madeline replied quietly, trying to at least act sober. "I'll try not to."

"Don't make jokes!" Jonathan snapped. "I'm bloody serious! You aren't allowed to die, because if you die, I… it'll be very, very bad!"

"Jonathan," Madeline whispered. "Just go to sleep."

"No, I need to tell you this!" he insisted. "It's important! I love you!"

"_What_?"

"Not like that, you egotistical cow!" Jonathan retorted to her exclamation, groaning and waving drunkenly at her. "I don't want you or anything, I just… no other woman understands me like you do, Maddie! Or any other man, for that matter, and… you're like the sister I never had!"

"Jonathan, you have a sister!"

"Well, yes, I know that, and I love Evie, really, I do, but she's just no fun, and you're lots of fun, and… and I don't know… don't die, all right?"

"All right, I won't. Go pass out now."

"Ok."

Jonathan closed his eyes and settled back against the settee cushions. Madeline shook her head at him. Then she tried to stand up, stumbled, and nearly fell headfirst into the bed.

"Whoa," she giggled, straightening herself out with great difficulty.

She glanced over at Ardeth, who was still sitting in the desk chair, hunched over the dresser. Madeline rolled her eyes and stumbled over to the window, opening the sash and leaning out into the surprisingly cool night air.

"I am a failure as a Med-jai."

Madeline heard Ardeth's soft mumble even from across the room. She doubted he'd meant for her to hear it, but she heard it anyway.

She turned back from the window and looked over at the man still hunched over the dresser. "What?" she asked, a little too loudly.

Ardeth lifted his head and turned to look at her. "I am a failure as a Med-jai," he repeated, speaking louder this time. There was something funny about his tone. It was too loud, and too insistent. And Madeline could have sworn he'd slurred his words. Then again, she was pretty drunk, so she might have slurred his words for him.

"No… no, you're… not," she replied, sounding rather confused.

"I am," he insisted, getting to his feet. As he stood, he stumbled. Madeline's jaw dropped. That was the clincher.

"Holy shit, Ardeth, are you _drunk_?"

He looked affronted. "Of course I am not drunk!" he exclaimed.

Madeline didn't believe him. She was positive he was drunk – and not just tipsy, _drunk_. Her level of drunk. "Ardeth, you're drunk. Were you sneaking?"

"No! I am telling you…" Suddenly, he blinked and swayed slightly. "The room _is_ rather blurry, is it not?"

"It's very blurry," Madeline returned. "But I think that's because I'm drunk. See where I'm going with this?"

"That is impossible," Ardeth proclaimed. The way he said it made him sound vaguely ridiculous. Madeline wanted to laugh at him, but amazingly thought better of it.

She frowned. If Ardeth hadn't been drinking, then…

"Jonathan!" Madeline shouted, nudging him hard in the ribs.

Jonathan mumbled in his sleep and rolled over.

"Wake up!" Madeline shouted, poking him mercilessly. "Jonathan! Jonathan! Jonathan!"

"What the bloody hell do you want?" Jonathan grumbled, half-opening his eyes.

"Did you spike Ardeth's juice?"

"What the blast are you talking about, Maddie?"

"Did you spike Ardeth's juice?"

Jonathan thought about that question for a moment, and then started giggling. "Oh, yes. Yes I did."

Then, still laughing to himself, he rolled over and went back to sleep.

Madeline turned to Ardeth, who was standing still with a look of fury on his face. She shrugged. "Told ya you were drunk."

"I will kill him!" Ardeth thundered, taking a step forward. He stumbled and had to grab a hold of the desk chair to steady himself. Shaking his head, he frowned and added, "Tomorrow."

Madeline couldn't help it. She started to laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" he nearly shouted at her.

His face was contorted into the Med-jai death glare. Normally, Madeline might have found this frightening, but at the moment everything around her was hilarious. She laughed harder.

"Stop laughing at me!" he bellowed.

She didn't. She couldn't. Madeline tried to walk towards him, still laughing hysterically, and stumbled. She reached out for the bed, missed, and went down hard, landing in a heap on the floor.

"Are you all right?" Ardeth demanded.

Madeline kept laughing.

"This is not funny!" he boomed.

"Yes," she gasped out, practically in tears. "Yes it… yes… so funny…"

He glowered at her.

"I'm sorry," she gasped out, trying desperately to stop laughing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Ardeth sighed heavily and sat back in his chair.

Madeline pulled herself up into a sitting position and stared up at him. "My bad," she murmured. The laughter had stopped, but she couldn't repress her amused smile. "I'm sorry, Ardeth. I, uh…" she snorted. "Sorry. Jonathan's… silly. He's very silly. He's… did he just seriously fuck something up here, or…?"

"Everything I do is wrong," he announced.

Madeline stared at him for a moment. "No… no, it's not," she replied.

"Yes it is," he replied glumly. "I am a failure. I allowed the creature to be resurrected…"

"Yeah, but you fixed it!"

"I allowed the necklace to be stolen…"

"That's not your fault!"

"It was!" he snapped. "I was carrying it on me in Alexandria! That man who bumped me in the bar…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Madeline fell silent and stared at him with huge eyes.

Ardeth sighed. "And now I am drunk. What sort of Med-jai chieftain gets drunk?"

"Hey," Madeline whispered cajolingly. "That's… that's not your fault. That… that… blame Jonathan."

He gave a small, sad smile. "You're not a failure," she said.

"I am," he replied, staring gloomily at the carpet. He was rocking in his seat slightly, and Madeline hoped he wasn't so drunk that he was about to fall out of the chair. "The necklace was stolen from _me_. I let that happen. I left you alone in the bar after Nasira's warning. I did not protect you the way I was supposed to. I failed my people, my sister, the world… I failed _you_, Madeline."

If it wasn't for the pitiful look on Ardeth's face, Madeline might have laughed again. It was just so funny. Everything was backwards. Madeline was the failure – she'd always been the failure. It was her thing. She should patent screwing up. And yet, here was Ardeth, claiming that _he_ had failed _her. _She would have bet that it was the other way around.

"You… you didn't… I don't feel failed," she said quietly, trying to make him feel better.

"You should," was his stubborn reply.

Madeline sighed, and tried to stand up. That didn't work out so great, so she gave up. Instead, she rose up on her knees and crawled over to Ardeth. She knelt before his chair, placing her hands in his lap. If she had been sober, she would never have had the gall to do that. However, she wasn't sober.

"I don't," she said.

He looked down at her. His big brown eyes met her clear blue ones. Madeline stared at him. Ardeth did not turn away. He reached out one large, dark hand and brushed back a strand of brown hair from her face. Madeline felt her skin tingle. Somewhere in the back of her mind, someone muttered something about her being drunk and this all being about to go downhill, but she pushed the little voice back behind her drunken haze, and focused instead on Ardeth's face.

"If you die," he whispered. "I will never forgive myself."

This was the proof she'd been looking for all along. Yeah, Madeline liked guns. Madeline fought like a man. She preferred pants to skirts and boots to high heels. And no matter how pretty she might or might not be, her muscular build made it fairly impossible for her to look feminine. But at that moment, there was no doubt that Madeline was a woman deep down. Because as soon as those words left Ardeth's mouth, her stomach flip-flopped and her lip trembled, and she rose up higher on her knees, leaning in towards his mouth.

Ardeth again did not turn away. He leaned into her, his lips crashing into hers, and his hands closing around her face. Madeline threw her arms around his neck and he pulled her up off the floor, crushing her against his chest.

It happened so fast, that it took Madeline's slow, whiskey-riddled mind a few seconds to catch up with her body. But somehow, she had ended up on the bed and Ardeth had ended up on top of her, and the two of them were still kissing furiously, rolling around on the mattress.

His lips broke slowly away from hers and traveled down her neck. His turban fell carelessly to the ground as she ran her fingers through his long black hair. A small moan escaped her throat. Ardeth's fingers began to play around the hem of her shirt…

And suddenly, all too quickly, it was over. Ardeth was pulling away from her, sitting up on his knees and staring down at her. He was shaking his head. "No," he said. "No, we cannot do this. Not now."

Hurt bubbled up in Madeline's chest. "Why not?" she asked.

He kept shaking his head. "It is not right," he murmured. "Not like this."

"It's fine," she whispered.

"It's not fair to you."

"It's completely fair," she exclaimed, sitting up and grabbing his shoulders. "I want this."

She leaned into his lips. Ardeth's resolve disappeared. As he gave in to the kiss, clutching her tightly against him, her hurt feelings faded away. Ardeth's tongue parted her lips and entered her mouth. He leaned against her, knocking her backwards onto the mattress. She was pinned beneath him, kissing him, her hands traveling up and down his back…

"No," he murmured, his resolve returning. He sat back up. "I am drunk. You are drunk. This… I will not do this to you."

Her feelings were hurt again. "But…"

"No, Madeline."

She stared at him for a moment. "Fine," she whispered after a while. "I completely understand."

Madeline rolled over and moved away from him. Ardeth sighed. "No, you don't understand," he announced. "I can tell you don't."

"No, I do. I get it."

"You don't. You are upset."

"Don't worry about it, Ardeth."

"I have to worry about it!" he exclaimed. "You don't understand! It's not that... You think I am not... I want you, Madeline, you must not doubt that. I do. Always."

She turned back to him and looked up at his face. "I do," he insisted softly. "But not like this. You…" he suddenly looked embarrassed. "You… deserve better."

Madeline simply stared at him for what felt like forever. Then she slowly sat up. He stared back. "Don't get the wrong idea," she whispered. "But that was really sweet, so…"

She cupped his chin with her hand and kissed him softly on the mouth. Ardeth's hands rested gently on her arms as he kissed her back. Slowly, they parted.

They stared at one another. Madeline's vision was getting hazier and hazier by the minute. The alcohol was taking its toll. Ardeth lay down on the mattress, his hand still around her arm, and pulled her closer to him. Madeline let herself be dragged down onto the bed and rested her head on his chest. Ardeth's arms encircled her. She closed her eyes. Ardeth reached over to the light. Seconds later, the room was dark. Madeline buried her face in Ardeth's dusty robes and drifted out of consciousness.


	17. The Next Morning

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thank you to Lucky Fannah, Jac Danvers, The-Lady-Isis, Nelle07, Padme4000, Page-Mistress, Pirate Hero, Typhoid-Candy, idkaname, RopedMeASparrow, Pirate College Graduate, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, AnnabelleLee13194, and IllinoisRose for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 17: The Next Morning

Madeline blinked awake, her head swimming. Sunlight streamed into the room, and she squinted against the brightness. There was a pounding in her temples, and a very hard mattress beneath her head.

Except it wasn't a mattress that was beneath her head. It was a chest. A chest cloaked in a black robe.

Madeline lifted her head slightly and squinted at Ardeth. He was still asleep. She closed her eyes and opened them again. What exactly had happened the night before? Damn it, she really hated not being able to remember.

There had been a lot of whiskey. She knew that much. Both she and Jonathan had drunk a lot of whiskey. And she wasn't exactly sure how much whiskey Jonathan had allowed to fall into the juice he'd bought Ardeth, but she was willing to bet it had been plenty.

Let's see… Jonathan had passed out after informing her that he loved her. That wasn't really a big deal. And then Ardeth had announced that he was a failure.

Oh, yeah. Then she'd engaged in a tongue-wrestling match with the Med-jai chieftain. Fantastic. This wasn't going to be awkward at all.

Suddenly, Madeline really didn't want to be lying on top of Ardeth when he woke up. She tried to maneuver herself out of his arms without waking him, but failed miserably. Ardeth's grip on her was tight, and even in his sleep he didn't seem ready to let her go.

Well, crap. How the hell was she going to get out of this one?

Ardeth began to stir. Madeline felt panicked. She really didn't want him to wake up like this. She didn't want to be on top of him when he opened his eyes. This was going to be so bad. It hadn't even happened yet and she was already embarrassed.

There was no stopping this. Madeline nervously chewed on her lip as Ardeth started to wake. Then, being unable to think of an alternative course of action, she did the first thing she could think of.

She closed her eyes and buried her face back in his chest.

With her eyes squeezed shut, she waited nervously for Ardeth to wake up. She heard him clear his throat. He shifted underneath her. Then she felt his entire body tense up.

Let me go, she thought desperately. Let me go, let me go, get up and go into the bathroom, please just leave…

Slowly, Ardeth's arms unwrapped themselves from around her body. Gently, he rolled her off him and onto the mattress. Madeline kept her eyes shut tight. She heard the mattress creak as he climbed off the bed. Then she heard his footsteps as he crossed the room, and finally the whine of the bathroom door as he shut it behind him.

Madeline opened her eyes and glanced around the room in panic. Ardeth had retreated to the bathroom. Jonathan was still passed out on the settee. She sighed in relief and sat up on the bed.

Ok, bullet dodged. What now?

She climbed off the bed and began searching furiously for her boots. Maybe if she just left, now, before he came back and they were forced to deal with their increasingly awkward situation…

The door to the bathroom swung open and Ardeth stepped out into the sunlight.

Madeline stared at him soundlessly. He stared back, his eyes betraying how startled he was to find her out of bed. She started nervously chewing her lip. Ardeth just kept staring at her through his messy curtain of black hair. His turban still lay on the floor. Madeline felt a blush slowly creeping into her face as she thought about that turban and how it had been _her_ who had knocked it to the floor, her hands running through his hair, his lips on her neck…

She had to stop, now, before she turned an even brighter shade of red.

Finally, Ardeth looked away from her. He bent at the waist and picked his turban off the floor. Then he tied it back around his dark hair and walked right out the door.

It hurt. Madeline felt sudden tears spring to her eyes, which thoroughly disgusted her. She ordered herself to stop being so ridiculous. But she couldn't help the way she felt. She felt hurt. He had simply walked away from her, without so much as a good morning. She felt completely and utterly rejected.

Behind her, on the settee, Jonathan began to stir. Suddenly, Madeline really needed to get out of that room. She was suffocating. And the last thing she wanted was to talk to her best friend. She wasn't sure why the thought of talking to Jonathan was so unpleasant to her, but it was. Madeline didn't want to talk to anybody at the moment.

She sprang through the door and out into the hall before Jonathan could wake up completely. Alone, she fairly ran down the hall, in the opposite direction of the stairs. She rounded a corner. There was a window at the very end of the hall, and Madeline walked towards it a brisk pace. Reaching the window, she threw it open and ducked her head outside into the fresh air.

Rick had always told her men were liars. That they would tell a girl anything they thought she wanted to hear in order to get one nasty little thing out of her… and then they would never call her again. But that wasn't Ardeth, was it? No matter how he had acted this morning, it couldn't be him. Ardeth was different.

She remembered being especially warned against the men who seemed 'different.'

But it was so wrong. She couldn't picture Ardeth that way. His feelings had seemed so genuine. He had told her that he was a failure, admitted that he wanted her, told her she deserved better than a drunken night of sex that she wouldn't remember most of the next morning. If he wanted one thing and one thing only, why would he have turned that one thing down the night before?

No, she couldn't believe it. Ardeth wasn't that man. But there was no denying that he had treated her badly that morning, even it had been simply out of embarrassment. No matter what she told herself, her feelings were hurt.

She stood in that hallway for quite some time. When she finally made her way down the hall and back towards the room, she came around the corner just in time to see Ardeth lead a young man cloaked in black robes through the door of their motel room.

Madeline frowned. She swore the man with Ardeth was his younger brother, Yasir. But what was Yasir doing away from Hamunaptra?

She snuck quietly to the door of the room, pressing her ear against the door. "Where are the other two?" she heard the second man ask. It was definitely Yasir. She would know that haughty and disdainful voice anywhere.

"I do not know," Ardeth replied simply.

Here she was again, her ear pressed against a door, eavesdropping on private conversations between Med-jai men. This was getting to be commonplace.

"So the necklace was placed around the woman's neck," Yasir snorted. "I knew that woman would be trouble."

"Her name is Madeline," Ardeth said. He sounded rather testy.

"Yes, yes. Madeline O'Connell. I must admit, from the way you had spoken of her, I expected something quite different than what she is. I do not know what could have caused your high opinion of her."

"You have not seen her in battle. And you have not spoken with her long enough to know who she really is."

"Maybe so. But the little I did see, I did not care for."

There was a long pause. Madeline didn't care for the way she was being spoken about, but it was just Yasir. She didn't really give a damn what he thought of her. Ardeth, on the other hand… it was probably stupid, but it hurt that he wasn't sticking up for her more.

"Nasira will believe this silly American woman holds some sort of attraction for you," Yasir went on. Underneath his haughty, dismissive tone, Madeline detected a note of real concern. "Of course, this simply cannot be true. Still, she persists in believing – and some of the men are starting to get similar notions. I have told them not to be ridiculous, but people will believe what they choose."

Ardeth said nothing. After a short pause, Yasir said, "Of course this is not true. You must tell me it is not true."

"It is not true," Ardeth said quietly.

That stung. Madeline blinked furiously. But the insult being paid to her was not over yet. "I had hoped not," Yasir returned. "You are still young, Ardeth, but you must be aware that someday soon it will be necessary for you to produce an heir. Choosing a woman like that to be your bride… it would spell disaster for the Med-jai."

Ardeth said nothing. Madeline crossed her arms in front of her chest and took a deep breath. She had never felt so worthless in her life… and that was saying something.

"I am not the only one who thinks so, you know," Yasir pushed on. "Nasira may have her silly romantic notions, but the rest of the tribe is not so foolhardy."

"I am hardly in love with Madeline O'Connell," Ardeth snapped. "You may rest easy, Yasir. There will be no bride brought home to the desert anytime soon."

Try as she might to resist, the tears began to sting at her eyes anyway. "Why are you here, Yasir?" Ardeth demanded.

"We came to check on your progress," Yasir replied. "See whether or not you were successful in stopping the resurrection, and to offer our services if need be. We were on our way to Giza when Horus intercepted us and directed us here."

Ardeth gave a heavy sigh. "We are no closer to stopping the resurrection than we were when it first began," he said tiredly. "And I appreciate the offer of your services, Yasir, but I do not know what you could possibly do."

"I read your message about the phases," Yasir replied. "I know that if the woman stops going where her visions tell her, she will die and Nitocris with her. Perhaps it would be best for all if we let her die."

Madeline couldn't bear to hear another word. She turned from the door and nearly ran down the hall, clambering blindly down the stairs. She was going to cry, she could feel it. How could he have lied to her like that? How could he let Yasir insult her like that? She was hurt; she was so hurt. In fact, Madeline didn't think she'd ever felt so bad before in her entire life.

Why bother telling her all that crap last night? Why say he felt something if he was only going to deny it later on? Why play with her emotions like that? Was it pity? Humoring the girl on her deathbed?

She ran headlong into a short man in a white jacket. "Maddie, darling, do watch where the bloody hell you're going!" Jonathan's voice exclaimed.

Madeline tried to run away before he saw she was upset. "Sorry, Jonathan," she mumbled, pushing past him.

Jonathan grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked sternly. "You look an awful mess! What the blast has got you in tears now?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Madeline snapped, feeling very overemotional. "You make it sound like I'm in tears every other day! I'd like to see you try and remember the last time you saw me crying!"

Jonathan blinked at her. "All right, someone's upset," he said. "And I'm going to bother you until you tell me what the bloody hell happened. Go on, now, and spit it out."

"Do you know that Yasir and some of the other Med-jai are here?" Madeline asked suddenly.

"Well, now that you mention it, I did notice some strange black robed fellows while I was outside looking for you and Ardeth," Jonathan replied. "Why? What does that have to do with you bawling like a little girl?"

"I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled.

"Well, too bloody bad!"

"Leave me alone, Jonathan!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Maddie, I can do this all bloody day, you know."

Madeline fell silent, crossing his arms in front of her chest and staring petulantly down at the floor. She sighed. "Yasir is upstairs talking to Ardeth."

Jonathan frowned at her. He had a funny look on his face. "What are they talking about?"

She stared at the wall. "Me," she sighed.

"I see," Jonathan murmured, still wearing that funny look on his face. "And what exactly were they saying about you?"

Madeline bit her lip and stared at the floor again. "I don't know. Stuff."

"What sort of stuff?"

Madeline sighed heavily. "Jonathan, I don't want to talk about it!"

"Let me guess," Jonathan drawled. "It had to have been something not very nice, which is why you're currently in tears."

"I am not in tears," she snapped. "I'm… just leaking a little bit."

"What did they say, Maddie?"

"Why does it matter?"

Jonathan sighed loudly, clearly exasperated. "What happened?"

"I don't know… Yasir wants to kill me, but that doesn't really surprise me very much."

Jonathan blinked. "Is that why you're crying?"

"Well…"

"Besides, Ardeth must have told him that isn't going to happen. He said himself that we weren't going to let you die. We're going to find another way."

"Yeah," Madeline replied vaguely, although honestly she had no idea what Ardeth had said to Yasir. She had been too upset to listen to the conversation for any longer.

Jonathan frowned at her. "All right, Maddie, I'm not an idiot, you know. What are you _really_ carrying on about?"

Madeline looked away from him, embarrassed. "Well, you know how you got Ardeth drunk?"

Jonathan snorted with laughter. "Yes, I do recall that. Stroke of bloody brilliance if I do say so myself. He may kill me later, but it was absolutely worth it… wait up one minute!" He frowned at Madeline, who suddenly looked even more uncomfortable. "Did something happen after I fell asleep?"

"You didn't fall asleep, Jonathan," Madeline retorted. "You passed out drunk."

"Yes, yes, tomato, tom-ah-to," Jonathan replied, rolling his eyes. "Answer the bloody question!"

Madeline sighed. "Well… kind of… we, uh, talked a little bit, and then… then, well… we, uh…"

"Maddie, no!" Jonathan exclaimed. "You didn't… well, you know. Do that thing I do… with many of the young ladies I meet."

"No!" Madeline snapped. "No, of course I didn't do that! We just… we just…"

Jonathan gaped at her. "You got close, didn't you?"

"Not exactly… I wouldn't call it close…"

"Aha!" Jonathan crowed. "So the two of you _did_ do something!"

Madeline sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "All right, fine. We might have, uh… kissed a little…"

Jonathan frowned again. "So, is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

She shrugged.

Jonathan studied her some more. "Do the waterworks have something to do with this possibly good or bad thing?"

Madeline sighed. "I don't know. Maybe."

"Madeline…"

"All right," she snapped. "Fine. You really want to know? Nasira thinks Ardeth has feelings for me, and she let it slip to Yasir and some of the other men. And while Nasira apparently adores me for reasons unknown, none of the other Med-jai seem to care for me all that much. So Yasir took it upon himself to inform Ardeth that if he chose me for a bride, it 'would spell disaster for the Med-jai.' To which Ardeth told him, in no uncertain terms, that he feels nothing for me. And seeing as how he told me something a little bit different last night, I guess you could say I'm a little upset!"

"Cor, did he say all that when you were in the room?"

"Of course not," Madeline retorted. "I was eavesdropping outside the door."

Jonathan stared at her for a moment, as if unsure whether to laugh about her eavesdropping, or comfort her because she was so upset. Madeline rather wished he would choose neither.

They were silent for a little while. Finally, Madeline rolled her eyes and announced, "I'll be outside."

She turned to walk away. "All right," Jonathan murmured faintly. "Yes, that's a good idea."

She half expected him to follow her, but once she stepped outside the door, she found that was not the case. Madeline looked for him over her shoulder only to find he had gone. She stood in the entranceway for a moment, frowning. The only place Jonathan could have disappeared to was their hotel room.

Her eyes widened. Uh-oh.

She raced up the stairs. What the hell did Jonathan think he was going to do? He had better be going up there to retrieve the leftover whiskey and not to pick a fight with Ardeth. She already had one overprotective older brother, and she did not need Jonathan hopping on board the bandwagon. Especially since she'd grown rather fond of Jonathan, and really didn't want him to get his ass kicked by a Med-jai warrior – which was bound to happen, because unlike her other overprotective older brother, Jonathan wasn't exactly formidable in a fight.

Madeline reached the top of the stairs and raced towards the room – only to run straight into Yasir.

He glowered at her. "Where have you been?" he demanded.

Madeline blinked at him. She quickly decided the best course of action was to play dumb. "Yasir?" she asked incredulously. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is me," he snapped. "We have been wondering what became of you."

"When did you get here?" she inquired. "_What_ are you doing here? Did you get Ardeth's message?"

"Yes, I did," he replied shortly. "I came to help clean up your mess. You had best go inside and inform Ardeth that you were not kidnapped or some other such nonsense. We will be leaving shortly for Dahshur."

Then he turned away from her, his robes swishing around him, and stormed downstairs.

Jackass, Madeline thought to herself as she rushed to the hotel room.

"Look, I know this is probably my fault, what with the whiskey and everything, but before you start in on me about that, you're going to hear me out!"

Oh, crap. She was too late. Even from outside the door, she could hear Jonathan hollering at Ardeth.

"You know, I may not be the best bloke in the world," Jonathan was going on now. "I may be a drunkard, and I may be a gambler, and yes, perhaps I have the tendency to work my charms on young women and then neglect to call them ever again – although, quite frankly, those young women are expecting _far_ too much out of me in my opinion – but if there's one thing I pride myself on, it's the fact that I look after both Evie and Maddie to the best of my ability, and I have to say that when it comes to Maddie, I don't care for the way you and your lot are treating her!"

"I do not know what you mean."

"Oh, you don't, do you? Well, allow me to make myself clear. You see, there are certain women in this world that men spend one night with, only to wake up the next morning and run like hell in the opposite direction. However, there are also women who deserve far better treatment than that, and who you'd be lucky to have a next morning with, and even if Maddie doesn't exactly seem like that sort of woman, I know for a fact that she is. And I will be damned if I stand by and watch you use her like a handkerchief!"

This was not good. This was very bad. Madeline pinched the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache. She wished she had telepathic mind control powers that she could use to make Jonathan stop talking.

"You think I am using her like a handkerchief?" Ardeth asked in low dangerous voice.

"Yes, I do!"

"I have never done anything to hurt Madeline," Ardeth retorted. "I do not what you are talking about."

"Ha! Well, I happen to know that's a load of pig's wallow! See, last night I wasn't as unconscious as you thought I was, and I happen to know that the two of you… well, the two of you did something, let's just leave it at that!"

Madeline wasn't exactly happy about Jonathan's sudden desire to play big brother, but at least he had the decency to lie and say he'd seen their kiss, instead of announcing that Madeline had told him about it.

"And I also happen to know that you weren't very nice to her the next morning! Do you want to know how I know that?"

Oh, shit.

"I know that because she happens to be outside right now, and she happens to be very upset! You know, you can't just kiss Maddie and act like she means a whole lot to you and then dismiss her the very next day! And it's not just you, you know. Your braying arse of a younger brother treats her horribly, too. Even more so! Now, you listen to me. I may not be Rick O'Connell. I may not be so muscular that, in my opinion, it's just plain unhealthy, and I may not be the most terrifying person to be up against in a fight. But as far as I'm concerned, Maddie is a sister to me, and if you don't start treating her the way she deserves to be treated, I will punch you square in the nose! It may hurt me more than it hurts you, and you may hit me back so hard it will knock me unconscious for the next week or so, but I'll hit you just the same, and I'll make sure everyone around knows why I'm doing it, too!"

There was a very long silence. Madeline was torn between being embarrassed to death, and feeling incredibly, surprisingly happy. Hearing Jonathan stick up for her was humiliating, sure, but it was also a very nice, protective, brotherly thing to do. Suddenly, Madeline realized that she meant something to at least one of the people caught up in this whole horrible adventure, and that made a surprising difference in how she felt. She had never loved Jonathan more than she did at that moment.

Finally, Ardeth spoke. "I will remember that," he said simply.

"Good."

There was another pause. "You mentioned the whiskey that you put in my drink," Ardeth spoke again. "I owe you for that."

Jonathan's voice had suddenly become very high-strung and nervous. "Owe me? No, no, I don't think you _owe_ me anything, really…"

There was a loud thud, followed by another thud, and then a cry of pain that sounded an awful lot like Jonathan.

Madeline ducked around the corner. The door to the hotel room swung open and Madeline watched Ardeth as he stormed off down the stairs. He failed to notice her standing just around the corner.

As soon as he was gone, Madeline rushed inside the room. "Jonathan!" she exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

He was sprawled out on the floor, his back up against the wall, clutching his nose. Madeline could see blood leaking through her fingers. "Oh, no," she murmured, kneeling beside him. "He punched you in the face."

"Yes, well," Jonathan winced. "I suppose I had that one coming."

"Let me get you a rag or something. I'm so sorry, Jonathan."

"I don't know what _you're_ apologizing for. You're not the one that clocked me. Besides, it's nothing to get terribly upset over. Happens all the time."

"Yeah," Madeline agreed, handing him a cloth. Jonathan held it up against his bleeding nose. "But you were sticking up for my silly, pathetic ass. Granted, I think he punched you over the drink-spiking incident, but… well, still."

"No apologies necessary."

Madeline helped Jonathan to his feet and led him over to the washroom. Once inside, she sat him down and dampened one of the towels hanging on the wall. She used the wet towel to clean up some of the blood while Jonathan continued applying pressure to the injury. "Jonathan," she murmured.

"Yes, m'dear?"

She looked him square in the eye – which was rather difficult to accomplish, seeing as he had his head tilted back. "Thank you."

He gave her a small smile. "Just doing my job."

She smirked at him, and went back to patching him up.


	18. The Medjai v the Berkleys v the Dead

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to danielle, idkaname, Pirate College Graduate, peygoodwin, midnight-flurry, Typhoid-Candy, AnnabelleLee13194, Nelle07, Lucky Fannah, Jac Danvers, Ravenclaw Samurai, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, Page-Mistress, Pirate Hero, Padme4000, and IllinoisRose for the reviews! Sorry for the wait.

* * *

Chapter 18: The Med-jai v the Berkleys v the Dead

Madeline and Jonathan stepped outside of the hotel, blinking in the bright sunlight. Jonathan still had a cloth pressed to his nose. The bleeding had significantly lessened, but it wasn't gone completely. Ardeth, Yasir, and about seven or eight other Med-jai were waiting outside for them, congregated around Jonathan's car. "What took you two so long?" Yasir demanded.

Jonathan gave Ardeth's younger brother an incredibly nasty look. "Oh, well, excuse me," he snapped. "I was only bleeding heavily from my nose! Silly me, that clearly wasn't important at all!"

Yasir's lip twitched angrily. Ardeth announced something to his men in Arabic, and then walked around to the passenger side of Jonathan's car. Madeline looked over at Jonathan, who merely shrugged.

"We are leaving for Dahshur," Yasir fairly growled at the two of them. "Move quickly!"

He turned from them, and climbed inside the rear seat of the convertible. Madeline gave Jonathan a helpless, desperate look. Was she really going to have to ride to Dahshur while sitting next to Yasir?

Jonathan looked at her with sympathy. Then he walked over to the convertible and climbed into the driver's seat. Madeline pouted. This was going to be hell.

She followed Jonathan and sat down in the back of the car, as far from Yasir as she could get. Yasir turned to the men still standing on the side of the road and called out in Arabic. All the men stared at one another, muttering as though they were arguing among themselves. Finally, the shortest, leanest of the Med-jai men came forward and climbed inside the car as well – to Madeline's great annoyance. Suddenly she was crammed between both Yasir and this complete stranger. Madeline closed her eyes and wished for the sweet release of death.

"The rest of the men will follow on horseback," Yasir announced almost snottily. "Do not worry about waiting for them. They know the way."

"Oh, good, then," Jonathan drawled sarcastically. "Here I was, all worried about that."

"Drive," Yasir ordered.

Ardeth remained silent the whole time, allowing Yasir to issue commands. Madeline glared at the back of his head. What was his freaking problem?

Jonathan started up the car, grumbling under his breath the whole time, and tore away from the hotel.

It was a tense and uncomfortable ride that felt longer than it actually was. Madeline hated just about every minute of it. But eventually, the convertible came in sight of several pyramids, two of which Madeline remembered very distinctly from her dream.

Jonathan parked his car and the five of them climbed out of the convertible. Yasir ordered them to walk towards the pyramids, which earned him an eye-roll from both Madeline and Jonathan.

"As if we weren't planning on doing that already," Jonathan grumbled in Madeline's ear.

Madeline snorted.

Ardeth led the way towards the Bent Pyramid, the other four following close behind. Madeline and Jonathan lagged purposely behind everyone else, and the nameless Med-jai stayed in the middle, alone and far away from everyone.

The group was dead silent as thy made their way across the necropolis. Madeline was fuming. She had long ago left behind hurt and embraced anger instead. Who was Yasir to come in here and take over everything? Oh sure, he let Ardeth walk in front of everyone else, and would look over at Ardeth as if asking for permission before issuing his obnoxious orders, but he didn't really mean it. He thought he was in charge, and Madeline wasn't having any of it.

As she stalked along behind the Med-jai men, arms crossed and staring daggers at them while thinking murderous thoughts, she was suddenly aware of a roaring sound, not unlike the sound of engines.

The rest of her company heard it as well. All five of them started and glanced around furiously. They discovered the source at once. All around them, several new Oshkosh trucks were bearing down on them, making lots of noise and kicking up plenty of sand. Madeline knew immediately that Luke Berkley and his lackeys had tracked them down once again.

The thought had no sooner formed in her head when the trucks rushed by them on either side. An arm shot out of the bed of one truck and grabbed her around the waist, yanking her inside the vehicle.

Shit.

Madeline brought her elbow down into her captor's gut with all her might. He let out a loud pained gasp, loosening his hold on her. She used this advantage to grab hold of her pistols. One of the men inside the truck suddenly appeared in her face, and she slammed one of her guns hard against his skull. He toppled to the floor of the bed. Madeline kicked out at another man, making room for her to fire her guns. Several shots went off, and the men in the back of the truck began dropping.

She glanced out the side of the vehicle. Nothing except sand stared back at her. Madeline took a deep breath and a big chance, and rolled out of the truck.

With a loud thump and cry of pain, she hit the ground and rolled quite a distance as the vehicle kept driving on by. When the rolling finally ended, Madeline wound up on her stomach, face down in the sand. She coughed and looked up from the dirt at the truck speeding away from her.

Then she heard a loud shout, and rolled over onto her back to find three men standing over her. One foot launched out and kicked the closest man in the gut. Then she began to fire her pistols. Her bullets hit one man, sending him falling to the sandy ground, moaning in pain. One of the other two kicked one of her guns from her hand and pressed his foot hard into her throat. Madeline aimed her other pistol at him, but the second man shot her in the hand with a gun of his own, forcing her to drop the pistol in the sand. He promptly kicked the gun out of her reach. Madeline struggled underneath the first man's foot, gasping for air.

A loud, high pitched cry sounded from behind the man strangling her, and there was a blinding flash of light as a sword came flying towards his abdomen. He jumped backwards, out of reach of the blade, releasing Madeline's windpipe as he did so. The Med-jai whose name Madeline did not know was swinging his sword rapidly at the opposing man.

The other man pulled out a large knife, blocking the Med-jai's swings. The second man aimed his gun at Madeline's rescuer, and Madeline quickly swung her boot up into the gunman's crotch. His grip on the gun faltered and he stumbled backwards, cursing in pain. Madeline, still breathless, forced herself to sit up and scrambled to the pistol nearest her. Snatching up her lost weapon, she aimed it at the gunman and buried a bullet in his forehead.

She turned to the Med-jai and the man who had been strangling her. The enemy man was blocking the Med-jai's sword thrusts valiantly, but the Med-jai soon disarmed him and stabbed him through the gut. The man coughed wetly, crying out in pain, and crumpled to the sand below, clutching his stomach.

The Med-jai turned to Madeline. His turban and face covering had been knocked loose in the fight, and Madeline saw immediately that he was not a he at all.

"Nasira?!" she exclaimed in complete shock.

"Shhh!" Nasira hissed at her, reaching down and grabbing Madeline's arm. Madeline was shocked when Nasira pulled her to her feet with surprising strength and ease. "Do not say my name so loud!"

"What the hell are you doing here?" Madeline demanded in a frantic whisper. "And… and how the hell did you do _that_?"

She pointed at the dead man bleeding on the ground, shocked. Nasira ignored Madeline and glanced around them. Their other three companions were so busy battling their surprise attackers that they had yet to notice that the silent, petite Med-jai man was, in fact, Nasira.

Ardeth's younger sister practically dragged Madeline over to one of the pyramids and ducked behind it. Madeline was still gawking at her. Nasira rolled her big brown beautiful eyes.

"There is no need to look so shocked," she snapped. "I came to see if you were all right. When we got the news that the resurrection had begun and the necklace was around your neck, I was just so worried. I knew Ardeth would not listen to me. I knew he was making a mistake…"

"Nasira," Madeline interrupted. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's what I am trying to tell you! I came to help! I am sick of sitting out there in the desert, doing nothing! I hate it! I wanted to be a part of this!"

Madeline's jaw dropped and would not close back up. Nasira ignored her display. "I stole some of my brothers' robes and disguised myself as a warrior," she went on. "I was sure I could hold my own. Ardeth used to teach me swordplay in order to defend myself should the camp ever be attacked. Our lessons have long ago ceased, but I still practice every day."

Madeline could not believe what she was hearing. "Please," Nasira begged suddenly. "You cannot tell my brothers about this! If they were to find out…"

"Nasira, I can't just keep this a secret!" Madeline hissed at her. "You… I…"

"Madeline, please!"

Madeline stared at her a moment longer, and then let loose a relenting sigh. Nasira grinned. Madeline buried her face in her hands. "Your brother is going to kill me," she fairly moaned.

"Which one?" Nasira asked.

The question earned her an incredulous glare. "Both of them!" Madeline snapped.

Suddenly, a blur of white linen and gunfire stumbled around the corner of the pyramid and backed right into Nasira. Both Nasira and the blur let out startled shrieks. Madeline rolled her eyes and sighed heavily as Jonathan stopped shooting and spun around in shock.

"Hi, Jonathan," she said, giving her friend a wave.

Jonathan stared at the two women in front of him with a slack jaw. "Nasira?!" he exclaimed. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"I snuck along with Yasir and the others," Nasira explained. "They do not know I am here. Please, Jonathan, you must not tell them!"

Jonathan gawked at her some more and then shrugged. "Well, anything to annoy the sod out of your brothers," he smirked. "Your secret is safe with me, m'dear."

"Thank you," Nasira smiled happily.

Suddenly, the three of them were rushed by several of the masked men working for Luke Berkley. Madeline and Jonathan immediately started shooting, while Nasira whipped out her swords and began slicing away. After several minutes of fighting, their attackers were subdued, and the three of them were relatively safe.

"Are the two of you all right?" Nasira asked.

"Fantastic," Madeline replied.

"Uh… ladies?" Jonathan said, frowning at a point behind Madeline and Nasira's backs. "I think we have a serious problem."

Both Madeline and Nasira whirled around and found themselves staring at very petite young blonde woman with a very huge machine gun cradled in her hands.

She wasn't exactly pretty, but she wasn't unattractive either. Despite the large gun in her hands, she had a very pleasing femininity about her that made her appear more attractive than she actually was. She was short, incredibly skinny, and very pale. Her light blonde hair was cut in a stylish bob. And she had startling, gorgeous gray eyes.

"I'm assuming one of you is Madeline O'Connell," she announced in a snobby British accent. She nodded at Madeline. "Would that be you, perhaps?"

Madeline stared at her, and then chose the obvious course of action. "Nope."

The blonde smirked. "So it is you, then." Frowning, the other woman studied Madeline intently. She sighed. "I must say, I _am_ disappointed. What on earth could Lucas have been thinking of? You're just so completely wrong for the job."

Wrong for the job? Madeline was aware that 'the job' meant being sacrificed to an ancient and evil queen, but still. She couldn't help but take offense. "Come again?"

The blonde ignored her. "Oh, well," she sighed. "I suppose there's nothing to be done about it now. Come along."

Madeline blinked at her. "Come along?" she repeated incredulously. "Um… no."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Come with me, or I fill your little friends with bullet holes."

Madeline looked at the teensy blonde woman and her giant gun. Then she glanced over at Jonathan and Nasira. She couldn't let them die.

She returned her gaze to the blonde woman. Her eyes traveled over the machine gun. She held it almost uncertainly. Her hands clearly weren't used to it. Madeline wondered if she could even shoot it.

However, whether she could shoot or not was beside the point. She still held a machine gun in her hands, and Madeline wasn't about to argue with that. "All right," she said, holding up her hands. "All right. I'll come with you."

"Madeline, you cannot!" Nasira exclaimed.

"I'm with Nasira over here," Jonathan added.

"Sorry, guys," Madeline replied, taking a step away from her friends and closer to the woman. "Looks like we don't have a choice."

She walked over to the blonde. The woman smirked, pleased. Madeline came to a stop directly in front of the other woman and her gun. Then suddenly, without warning, Madeline's fist made crushing contact with the other woman's nose.

The machine gun fell from the blonde's grip. She toppled backwards and landed in the sand, flat on her back. Her head lolled to the side. Madeline blinked, mildly surprised at how effective the punch had been. The other woman was unconscious.

"Cor, Maddie!" Jonathan exclaimed. "You can't just hit her like you'd hit a man! She's a tiny girl! You have to hit her like, well… like you'd hit me!"

Madeline frowned down at the blonde. "I cannot believe it!" Nasira said – far too excitedly considering the circumstances. "You stopped her!"

"_Stopped_ her? She knocked her out cold!" Jonathan disagreed.

Madeline nudged the unconscious girl with the toe of her boot. She didn't stir. "Shit," she murmured. "Do you think I killed her?"

"I don't bloody care!" Jonathan retorted. "Let's just get out of here!"

His hand closed around her wrist and he dragged her away, back towards Ardeth and Yasir. Nasira readjusted her turban and her face covering, and then raced after them.

"Who _is_ she?" Madeline wondered, the words coming out in a loud shout as the three of them ran.

"Don't know, don't care!" Jonathan called back over his shoulder.

"She looks just like Luke Berkley!" Madeline exclaimed. "And so did that other man, the one that helped break into your apartment!"

"Can we discuss this later, please?!" Jonathan practically exploded. "Right now I'd like to focus on bloody staying alive!"

Madeline, Jonathan, and Nasira ran across the sand, back to where the majority of the battle was taking place. Ardeth and Yasir were still engaged in vicious swordplay with their attackers, and they were grossly outnumbered. This wasn't looking good. They were so fucked.

And then, right after Madeline had decided that they were doomed, reinforcements arrived. A cloud of dust came rushing towards them, and at the head of the dust were seven black-robed men on horseback. The rest of the Med-jai had finally reached Dahshur.

Ardeth's tribesmen descended on the battle raging at the base of the pyramids with a ringing cry, their swords flashing in the sunlight as they swung the blades at Luke Berkley's men. The closer Madeline, Jonathan, and Nasira got to Ardeth and Yasir, the more of Berkley's men that fell to the Med-jai warriors. By the time they reached the two men, most of their attackers had fallen.

Ardeth stabbed his sword through his current opponent's stomach so hard it popped out his back. The man collapsed to the ground. Then he spun around to find Madeline, Jonathan, and Nasira – disguise in tact – standing behind him.

He started. Madeline thought she detected relief crossing his face. "Where did you come from?" he demanded, grabbing her by the arms. She blinked in surprise. "I thought…. I saw them…"

"I'm not entirely incompetent, you know," Madeline retorted frostily. She couldn't help but be frosty – she was still upset with him. "They yanked me into one of those trucks, and I escaped. Took a few with me, too."

Ardeth stared at her. He didn't get a chance to say whatever he was thinking. "Ardeth!" Yasir shouted suddenly, joining their foursome. "We should leave, now!"

His older brother nodded in agreement. "Yes," he murmured. He released Madeline's one arm, but tightened his grip on the other. Then he started dragging her back towards the convertible.

The rest of the party chased after them. Madeline considered yanking her arm back from Ardeth. What was his _problem_? First, he was all mushy and… whatever, and then he was all silent and distant and downright insensitive, and now he was acting all concerned about her again. She couldn't handle all this up and down, changing of his mind every ten seconds. He had worse mood swings than a pregnant woman. You know what? He could just go to hell.

They fought as they ran, backed up by the rest of the Med-jai that were accompanying them, hurrying as quickly as they could back to their convertible. They rushed past a very odd-shaped pyramid. It looked almost like a small child's drawing of a house, except three-dimensional. Madeline had the strangest feeling she'd seen it before.

Hold up a minute. Madeline marveled at her own stupidity. Of course she had seen it before. This was the pyramid from her vision! The… the… what had Jonathan called it? Oh, right, the Bent Pyramid.

It didn't really look like a bent pyramid to her. It looked more like a squished pyramid. They should have called it the Flattened Pyramid, or the Crushed Pyramid, or… this was insane. She had much bigger problems to worry about at the moment than what they should have named some stupid pyramid.

That was when the ground around them began to shake. "Oh, what fresh hell?" Jonathan shouted from his place on her left.

"Didn't we already have an earthquake?" Madeline hollered back.

"I thought so!" Jonathan cried out, clearly very frustrated. "I swear, if I don't encounter some consistency at some point, I'm going to bloody…"

What Jonathan was going to bloody do, Madeline never did find out. His sentence was interrupted by an explosion. Well, she supposed it wasn't really an explosion – there wasn't any noise or anything – but whatever it was, it caused the sand around the pyramids to shoot up all around them as if some old landmines from the Great War had suddenly gone off.

The force of the shooting sand knocked all five of them off their feet. "This better not be a bloody sandstorm!" Jonathan shouted. "We already had one of those too!"

"It is not a sandstorm," Ardeth replied. "This is nothing like any sandstorm I have ever known."

The sand began to settle. Madeline squinted through the dust. She could see several dark figures approaching them through the ever-decreasing dust cloud. Fantastic. That couldn't be good, right?

"Anyone else see the ominous figures in the distance?" she asked.

The dust settled entirely, and the figures came into better focus. Madeline almost immediately wished they hadn't.

"Oh, bloody hell," Jonathan moaned. "Not more mummies. I hate mummies."

Unfortunately for Jonathan – and for the entire assembly, to tell the truth – the dark ominous approaching figures were in fact mummies. Ugly, corroded, weapon-wielding mummies. And they looked none too happy to see Madeline and her companions.

"Oh, shit," she spat.

The five of them struggled to their feet. Ardeth, Yasir, and Nasira pulled their swords, while Madeline and Jonathan drew their guns.

At first, the battle seemed to be going pretty well for Madeline. The mummies descended on them and she opened fire, blowing bones loose from their bodies, and stopping quite a few of the attackers in their tracks. But as the fight raged on Madeline's gunfire was interrupted by sudden, debilitating pain that shot all through her skull and sent her to her knees.

Blinking furiously, Madeline pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to think through the pain. She attempted to continue shooting with the other hand, but the pain increased tenfold and the gun dropped from her hands. Despite herself, she whimpered.

A dark figure appeared, towering over her. Madeline blinked through the pain in her head until the sight before her came into focus. It was a tall, half rotted mummy with a long, vicious looking sword in its hand. Before she could fully register what was happening, the mummy stepped forward threateningly and raised its sword. Her arm went up over her head as if to shield herself from the blow and a small scream escaped her throat. The mummy swung its sword as with all its strength, aiming directly for her neck.

"No!" someone shouted. There was a blur of dark robes and a shining sword, and the mummy crumpled to the ground. Madeline tried to sit up, but couldn't. Her savior bent beside her, grabbing her by the arms, and hauled her off the ground and towards him. "Are you all right?" Ardeth's voice demanded.

She nodded, and tried to open her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a slight groan. The pain suddenly intensified, making it impossible for her to concentrate on anything else.

"Look out!" someone else called out. It sounded vaguely like Jonathan. Another mummy sword flew towards Ardeth's head. Ardeth ducked and blocked the sword with his own, so quickly that Madeline couldn't have followed the movement with her eyes even under the best of circumstances. He slew the mummy easily, and then turned back to Madeline. She reached up to cradle her head in her hands, feeling as though she were on the brink of unconsciousness.

The people around her were still crying out and swinging their weapons around crazily. Everything had become a sandy, tan blur. Suddenly, her vision went black. A flash of torchlight and sudden rushing water danced before her eyes. Then, as suddenly as it had come, the sight vanished, and Madeline was staring into Ardeth's big brown eyes once again.

She thought she detected a cry from Yasir, and then another shout from Jonathan. Ardeth asked her something, but she couldn't quite make out his words. Her vision was getting blurrier and blurrier by the second.

Jonathan must have reached the car and started the ignition, because she heard a sudden rumbling sound. There were more cries coming from the confusion all around her that she couldn't quite place. Then Ardeth lifted her up off the ground and began moving quickly away from the battle that was still raging on the burial grounds of Dahshur.

Everything went black again, and this time it stayed that way. Finally, Madeline lost consciousness.

* * *

Nitocris looked up from the papyrus in her hands and raised an eyebrow at the assembly before her. Several noblemen and advisors were surrounding her, all carrying torched and looking frazzled. "Merenre is dead?" she asked carefully.

One of the men standing before her answered her question with a slow, grave nod. "Yes," he replied. "A tragic accident."

"An accident?" she pressed. "Or foul play?"

"An accident," he returned, his eyes daring her to argue. "Very sad news. But for you, the news may be bittersweet. You are now pharaoh, my queen."

She smirked. "How very… exciting."

The scene shifted. A large group of men descended a large stone staircase that went deep into the ground, not far from the Nile riverbank. In the distance there was a large structure that resembled a cross between a pyramid and a mound.

The men walked down the steps and into the large, very ornate chamber below. There was a long table just waiting for the guests. It appeared to be a banquet hall. They settled into their seats, murmuring amongst themselves as to where the pharaoh was.

They hadn't long been seated when suddenly there was a loud grinding sound. Everyone fell quiet, staring around nervously. Then, suddenly, the walls caved in and water rushed into the chamber on all sides. The people sitting in the chamber began running towards the exits, but the water moved too quickly for them. Every dinner guest in the place was soon swept away in the flood. No one escaped.

Flames blazed all around a young woman. A door shut heavily.

A mummy was lowered into a shallow grave. Suddenly, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

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	19. The Argument

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Big thanks to Nelle07, Jac Danvers, Illinois Rose, danielle, Ravenclaw Samurai, Pirate College Graduate, Typhoid-Candy, Padme4000, thatredheadedchick, Pirate Hero, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, kaytieorndorff, zentry, Lady Willow Rose, and Curry Bird for the reviews! I feel like I owe my readers an apology for taking so freaking long to update. I'm sorry, guys. If it means anything, poorpiratelass has _not_ had a good month. She'd go into detail, but she suspects no one cares. Anyway, sorry and enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 19: The Argument

"Stop _shouting _at me! I don't know where the bloody hell you want me to go!"

"Anywhere! Just away from the pyramids!"

"Yasir, you should not…"

"You have made a grave mistake, Ardeth! You should have left her!"

Madeline blinked awake, squinting against the bright sun. Her head was killing her and the extremely loud argument that Jonathan, Yasir and Ardeth were having was only making it worse.

"Left her?" Ardeth asked his younger brother incredulously.

"Yes!"

Madeline frowned at Ardeth, who was seated beside her, and Yasir, who occupied the passenger seat. She glanced to her other side and found Nasira, still fully disguised, staring down at her with concern. "Are you all right?" she asked quietly.

Madeline nodded.

"How could you possibly suggest such a thing?" Ardeth demanded furiously of his younger brother. "Leave her? To the people chasing us? The people trying to resurrect Nitocris? Allow them…"

"Of course not!" Yasir interrupted. "Leave her to the creatures! Allow them to do what you cannot!"

There was a long pause in which everyone stared at Yasir as if they couldn't believe they knew him. Finally, Ardeth said, "No. There must be another way."

"Ha!" Yasir spat. "Then why have we not found it?"

"The translations take time…"

"Time we do not have!"

There was another pause. "You are wrong, Yasir," Ardeth murmured. "We do not resort to murdering innocent people when there are other options…"

"Since when?"

"Since now!"

Another silence fell. "I know she is a friend," Yasir said almost gently. "I know her brother is a friend. Perhaps you feel indebted to her for the scene at Hamunaptra five years ago. But the fact remains that she must die. I understand if you cannot do it. But if you can't, then I will."

Ardeth glared at his younger brother. "I will not let you kill her."

"I second that!" Jonathan added heartily from the driver's seat.

"You know, I'm awake," Madeline announced.

Everyone except for Nasira jumped about half a foot in the air. Yasir actually looked mildly guilty. Everyone got very quiet and stared at her – except, of course, for Jonathan, whose eyes were on the road.

Ardeth cleared his throat. "Are you… are you all right?" he asked rather awkwardly.

She nodded. "Fine. Where are we?"

"Who the bloody hell knows?" Jonathan replied. "I'm just trying to put some distance between us and those bloody killer mummies back there!"

"Are the mummies still running around?" Madeline asked.

"Their numbers have decreased," Ardeth murmured. "Hopefully the few still walking will destroy the remaining men who work for Luke Berkley."

"Just like we were hoping they would destroy me?" Madeline returned pointedly.

There was a short awkward silence. Ardeth shot his younger brother an angry look. "No one was hoping for that," he said.

Yasir's own expression mirrored Ardeth's almost exactly. He stared straight ahead out the windshield, refusing to make eye contact with his older brother. Madeline raised her eyebrow. Great. Awkward.

There was another silence. This one lasted much longer than the first. Finally, Jonathan broke it. "Well, Maddie? What'd you dream about this time?"

She sighed heavily. "Uh, well… Merenre definitely died out at Dahshur. Nitocris became queen, and, uh… she had some sort of dinner in this weird banquet hall that was out in the middle of nowhere for some reason, and then the whole place flooded and all the people in the hall drowned."

There was a brief pause. Then Jonathan exclaimed, "Well, hell's teeth, Maddie, that's not a whole lot to go on! Where are we supposed to be going?"

She sighed again, this time sounding aggravated. "I don't know! I… ok. Let me think." Madeline screwed up her face in concentration. "All right. It was by the Nile."

"Oh, good. Excellent. That makes things a whole hell of a lot easier," Jonathan retorted. "Because, you know, the Nile isn't over 6000 kilometers long or anything like that!"

"Would you shut up, Jonathan? You're not helping!"

"Well, I can't help if you can't give me something more than that to go on!"

"Stop yelling at me!" Madeline practically whined. "I can't think when you're yelling at me!"

"Both of you stop yelling!" Yasir shouted. "Neither one of you is helping anyone! We should be thinking up a way to stop…."

"Oh, shut up!" Madeline snapped. "What, you want to think up a way to stop Nitocris? I thought you already had a plan! What are you even waiting for? Why don't you just put a bullet in my brain already? I'll even let you use one of my pistols!"

Yasir turned around in his seat and glared at her. "Don't tempt me!"

"Enough!" Ardeth thundered. "Everyone, stop! Immediately!"

The car instantly fell silent. Madeline gave Yasir a dirty look, which he returned. Then she folded her arms across her chest and looked away, lapsing into sulky silence.

Ardeth sighed heavily. "Now," he said, taking charge. "No one is killing anyone. Madeline, can you remember anything else about your vision?"

Madeline's sulky expression didn't fade, but she did try to remember more of her vision. Not much came to mind: only the river and the people filing down the staircase into the chamber…

Hm. Hadn't there been something in the background? Sort of far off from the river? It had been some kind of a monument… not a pyramid, she didn't think. It hadn't been shaped like a pyramid. But it had been tall, and sort of mound shaped…

"Maddie?" Jonathan's voice interrupted her reverie. "Anything?"

"There was something in the distance," she announced. "It was sort of… I don't know. It was pretty far away. It kind of looked like a pyramid but not really. It looked sort of like a mound, maybe? With steps? I don't know. I give up."

There was a long silence. Jonathan had his face screwed up in thought. "Huh," he said finally. "Well, Maddie, this might be reaching, but I think you _may_ be referring to the Meidum pyramid."

"The what?" she replied.

"The Meidum pyramid! It was built in the third dynasty, finished in the fourth. It's right outside the village of Meydum."

"Fantastic," Madeline grumbled. "Where the hell is that?"

"Not very far," Jonathan returned. "Actually, it's on the most southern tip of the Dahshur plain. We're very nearly there."

"Even more fantastic."

"What if you are wrong?" Ardeth asked. "There are other pyramids matching that description…"

"Then we'll figure it out later," Jonathan interrupted. "But seeing as we're almost there anyway, we might as well start with this one. Maddie? Are you in agreement?"

"Whatever."

"Perfect! Let's go then, shall we?"

No one replied. The lack of response didn't seem to deter Jonathan in the slightest. He hit the gas a little harder and carried on, presumably in the direction of Meydum.

* * *

After a short silent car ride, the yellow convertible stopped before a large, stepped pyramid. Madeline frowned up at the stone structure, not sure whether or not the pyramid in question was in fact the one she had seen in her vision. The one in her dream had been on a grander scale; larger and with more steps. This pyramid had only three steps, and they were shaped sort of funny.

Jonathan must have seen the frown she was giving the pyramid, because he announced, "It won't look the same now. Since the time your vision took place, the outer pyramid has collapsed. It was bigger back then. Had more steps, I believe."

Well, that sounded about right. Madeline shrugged. Whatever. It couldn't hurt to take a look around.

The five of them clambered out of the car. Madeline squinted up at the pyramid. Then she looked off towards the river. If this was indeed the correct pyramid, then they should be hiking down to the river and finding the underground chamber from her vision. Once they found the chamber, she could have another vision and then they'd be off to the next place, and so on and so on. They were getting closer and closer to her last vision, to the final stage of the resurrection, to the end of the world. Honestly, what the hell were they thinking? If the Meidum Pyramid was in fact the pyramid from her vision, then she was going to have two visions in the same day. That couldn't be responsible.

"Hey, Jonathan?" she asked.

"Yes, m'dear?"

"We haven't figured out how to stop Nitocris yet, have we?"

"Oh, well, um…" Jonathan trailed off, looking mildly guilty. "That… that would be a no, I'm afraid."

Madeline sighed. "Great. Well, um… maybe we should be… _not_ trying to make me have a second vision today."

"Good point," Jonathan agreed.

"Then what would you have us do?" Yasir interjected snottily. "We are already here!"

"Well, actually we need to find the underwater chamber thing, and then I'll have my vision," Madeline returned. "I think. So, if we stay at the pyramid…"

"You want to stay here?" he asked incredulously.

"Why not?"

"We are in the middle of nowhere!"

"You live in the middle of nowhere!"

Yasir glowered at her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't twist my words like I was trying to insult you. I just meant this should be no problem for you."

Yasir was still glowering. "It is no problem for me?"

"Oh, would you stop it! You sleep on the ground all the time! Since when are you afraid to rough it?"

"How dare you…!"

"Enough!" Ardeth thundered, glaring at both of them. "Stop arguing!"

"He started it," Madeline grumbled.

Ardeth turned on her, giving her a stern look… a stern look that barely managed to conceal a tiny little spasm around his lips. Ha. She'd made him laugh. You know, sort of.

"I do not care who started it," Ardeth said. "Enough is enough."

Both Madeline and Yasir fell silent, looking sulky. "I think Maddie makes a good point," Jonathan announced. "Maybe we should camp here for the night."

"I agree," Ardeth nodded.

Madeline noticed Nasira shifting nervously beside her. She felt the girl's pain. The more time they spent together in such close quarters, the harder it was going to be concealing Nasira's identity from her brothers.

"Uh-oh," Jonathan said suddenly. "I'm afraid we have company."

The other four turned to look where Jonathan was gawking. Coming around the corner of the pyramid were several decaying mummies, much like the ones they had fought beneath the Bent Pyramid.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Madeline exclaimed.

The mummies attacked. Madeline whipped out her pistols and started shooting. Jonathan followed suit. Their three Med-jai companions drew their swords and joined the fray.

There were far less mummies this time around than there had been before. Madeline assumed they were leftovers; they must have popped up at the Meidum Pyramid, where no one was around. Now that they'd encountered people, however, they were on the attack. Maybe it was prejudiced to think, but Madeline decided that all mummies were mindless killing machines determined to destroy the human race. They were probably jealous of the living for, you know… being alive.

The mummies advancing on her met quick ends. She emptied her pistols into three of them, picking very convenient spots to shoot at. All three fell. Then she shoved her pistols back into her holsters and pulled her rifle. Two more mummies bit the dust. Once she'd used all the bullets in her rifle, Madeline resorted to swinging it around like a club, very effectively smashing limbs and skulls.

She beat the last of the mummies advancing on her into submission. Breathless, she looked up at her companions. Ardeth and Yasir were slicing through their final opponents. Jonathan was standing nearby, gun held limply in one hand, and surveying the bodies littering the ground before him. Nasira was battling one final mummy – a battle that quickly ended when she swung her sword with all her might through its neck.

Nasira turned to look at Madeline. Her turban and face covering had been knocked free. Madeline's eyes widened and she quickly motioned for the other girl to cover up. But before she could, Ardeth and Yasir finished off their opponents and turned around as well, their eyes falling on the now exposed face of their little sister.

The youngest Bay suddenly looked pale. Her eyes widened. Jonathan winced, and Madeline buried her face in her hands. This was bad. This was so bad, and on so many levels.

Ardeth was shocked, to say the least. As Madeline watched him, the wide-eyed shocked look – which matched Nasira's almost exactly – began to fade. His face became grave. Yasir, on the other hand, was clearly furious. After a brief moment of surprise, his face turned red and enraged, his obvious fury increasing with every second he spent staring at his disobedient sister.

"You… you… you…" he spluttered, incensed.

"Nasira," Ardeth interrupted his brother. His voice was as grave as his face, and much too calm. "What are you doing here?"

Nasira stared at her oldest brother, her expression both fearful and courageous. It was a strange combination, to say the least. She lifted her chin up and replied almost proudly, "I came to fulfill our sacred duty. I came to stop the resurrection."

"_Our_ sacred duty?" Yasir scoffed. "How dare you…!"

Ardeth held up a hand to silence his younger brother. He was standing tall, his shoulders tense, and his expression was growing graver by the second. Ardeth's calm, quiet demeanor was much more frightening than Yasir's angry shouting and sarcasm. Yasir must have sensed his brother's anger and fell silent instantly. Ardeth took a step towards Nasira. His sister did not flinch, or step back from him. She held Ardeth's gaze unwaveringly. Whatever the consequences, Nasira seemed determined not to back down. Madeline's admiration for the young woman continued to grow as she watched the scene before her.

"You have deliberately disobeyed me," Ardeth announced.

She nodded.

"You wear robes you have no right to wear."

Nasira nodded, even though her expression disagreed with his statement.

"You put your life in danger. You dishonor your brothers."

She said nothing.

Ardeth stared at her. Then he shook his head, clearly disappointed. "I did not expect this from you."

"What _did_ you expect?" Yasir interjected bitterly. "She was always too outspoken and rebellious for her own good. And you and Father. Always indulging her. No wonder she has turned out this way! Throw in that nasty influence over there…."

He nodded at Madeline. Madeline glared at him. Ardeth held up his hand to silence him again. "That is enough, Yasir."

"I am sorry, brother. But you cannot deny the truth in my statements. She was always determined to have her own way, and you always gave it to her. And then she meets this woman over here, who parades about in pants and carries pistols and…"

"I said, that is enough!" Ardeth thundered, turning on his younger brother.

Ardeth's shout silenced Yasir immediately. It also caused the other three people present to flinch.

Ardeth turned back to Nasira. "Have you anything to say for yourself?"

Nasira met his eyes. "I am not content to sit in the desert and wait until the danger is passed," she replied. "I want to fight. I need to fight. I am a Bay. It is in my blood."

Her older brother stared at her. "You shall leave immediately," he said finally. "Yasir will accompany you back to our camp personally."

"No," Nasira said calmly.

Ardeth's eyes flashed. "No?"

"No," she repeated herself. "I will stay. I will defend my people, and our duty. I will not return home."

"Yes, you will."

"No."

"You will return home!" Ardeth bellowed fiercely. "You will travel with Yasir, and if you _ever_…."

Madeline had had enough. She was not going to stand by and watch Ardeth and Yasir treat their little sister like this, customs or no customs. Without fully realizing what she was doing, Madeline stepped in front of Nasira and interrupted Ardeth's tirade with a shout of her own. "Hey! You can't just order her around like she's one of your little soldiers, you know! Especially if you won't let her be one of your little soldiers!"

Ardeth blinked, shocked by the interruption. Madeline carried on. "You two treat your little sister real nice, you know that?" she snapped. "Yelling at her and ordering her about. I don't care if you became her guardians after your parents died or not! That doesn't mean you get to control her life!"

"Maddie…" Jonathan murmured nervously from the sidelines. "I'm not so sure you should be getting involved…"

"Why not?" she retorted. "What are they going to do, kill me? They're already planning on killing me anyway! Who cares?"

"You should listen to Jonathan," Ardeth said.

Madeline's eyes narrowed. She glowered at the Med-jai chieftain before her. Who did he think he was? "You should treat the people in your life like people, not chess pieces!" she snapped. "You're a control freak, you know that? You try to control everyone! Your sister, Jonathan and me, complete strangers…"

"This is none of your business!" Ardeth shouted at her.

Madeline didn't pay his hollering any mind. "Not my business? _Not my business_? You know what? I'm wearing a cursed necklace, I've got countless people stalking me and trying to kidnap me, and I'm going to die! So if I decide that I want your little sister around, are you really going to deny me that? Dying woman's final wish!"

Ardeth glared at her. "You cannot fall back on that every time!" he snapped. "Just because something does not go your way, does not mean you can just…"

"Ha!" she crowed triumphantly. "Now you're getting it!"

He blinked. Jonathan raised an eyebrow. A small smile was starting to form on Nasira's face. And Yasir looked positively livid.

"Are you going to let her talk to you like that?" he demanded of his older brother.

Ardeth didn't seem to have an answer for that question. He was still staring at Madeline like she'd grown another head. She didn't care. She wasn't embarrassed in the slightest, nor was she concerned how Ardeth felt about her at the moment. She'd had enough. If this was how he treated the people in his life, then maybe she didn't want to be a part of his life anymore.

"Ardeth?" Yasir pressed.

The Med-jai chieftain stared at Madeline for a moment longer. Then he said, "We will spend the night here, at the base of the pyramid. Tomorrow we will decide our course of action."

Nasira's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Ardeth gave her a stern look and said, "Do not look so happy. I have not yet decided what I am going to do with you. Know this: I am most disappointed in your behavior."

Then he turned his back on her and marched over to the car, presumably to get the supplies they needed to make camp. Nasira's face immediately fell. Then she turned away from the small group and practically ran around the corner of the pyramid.

Madeline watched her go. She exchanged a look with Jonathan, who sighed and shook his head. Then he made to follow the young Med-jai woman. Madeline turned to look at Ardeth, who was staring in the direction his sister had raced off. She wondered if he felt bad.

Their eyes met. She gave him a nasty look. Ardeth looked away from her.

Stupid jerk. Maybe Rick was right about men after all. _All_ men. Every last one of them was a colossal jackass – with the possible exception of Jonathan. _Possible_ exception.

Madeline followed Jonathan around the corner of the pyramid. They soon found Nasira pressed up against the wall of the structure, cradling her knees to her chest and burying her face in her legs. She was sniffling.

Madeline and Jonathan exchanged looks. Then they sat down beside her, sandwiching her between them. "There, there, m'dear," Jonathan said, patting her on the back and attempting to be comforting. "So your brother's a little upset. That's no reason to be bawling your eyes out."

"I let him down," Nasira returned, her voice muffled by her knees. "I disobeyed him. It was dishonorable. I should be ashamed."

"No you shouldn't," Madeline returned. "I don't care what your customs are in Med-jai land, but I'll tell you this much: you're brave and you're honorable. Anyone can see that. It takes guts to race out into the action like that. You wanted to stop Nitocris' resurrection. You wanted to help save the world. Can anyone really fault you for that?"

Nasira looked up at Madeline, her face tear streaked. "They do not see it that way. I'm afraid most of the tribe will not see it that way."

"Well, to hell with them," Madeline replied. "If they can't see that, they're idiots."

Nasira smiled. "Perhaps I was a little selfish," she mused. "Perhaps it wasn't really about saving the world. Maybe I just wanted a little adventure."

"Well, there's a lot worse in this world you could want," Jonathan pointed out. "You could be after gold, women... er, men... land, power... _any_ of those would look a lot worse than adventure. Trust me, I know."

"Besides, you also did it because you were worried about a friend," Madeline put in. "And I'll bet you were worried about your brothers as well."

Nasira nodded, staring down at the dirt. "I fear they will never forgive me."

"Oh, cheer up," Jonathan said. "They'll come around eventually. Ardeth's practically smitten with Maddie over here, and she _never_ listens to him."

"Ardeth's not smitten with me," Madeline protested.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Well, he's not very good at showing it, I'll give you that."

"He does like you," Nasira added, seeming glad for a change of subject. "I know he does. He listened to you, even though you were disagreeing with him. And yelling at him. And… uh, well… hm. He may not talk to you for a few days. Just a warning."

Madeline shrugged. "Whatever. We weren't really talking before I yelled at him anyway."

"Why not?"

Jonathan gave Madeline a knowing look over Nasira's head. Madeline just sighed and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

They were all silent for a moment. "I am afraid to return to the car," Nasira admitted.

"Don't be," Madeline replied shortly. "The worst you're going to get is a few snarky looks and the silent treatment. Believe you me, silence and snarky looks are nothing to worry about. I get them all the time."

"As do I," Jonathan agreed.

Nasira laughed. "All right then," she said. "If you are with me, I shall be all right. Let's go back."

The three of them stood up. "You know," Jonathan announced as they made their way back towards their chosen campsite. "This is probably going to be a very long, awkward night."

Madeline snorted. "You're telling me."

* * *


	20. The Flood

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Nelle07, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, Jac Danvers, IllinoisRose, Ravenclaw Samurai, Padme4000, yellowstar128, Pirate Hero, AnnabelleLee13194, and Hakujou Enputi-shigai for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 20: The Flood

Dinner was an awkward affair.

After camp had been set up and night had fallen, the five of them had gathered around the campfire to cook and eat supper. The entire meal was spent in complete silence. Nasira would not make eye contact with anyone, and still looked ashamed of herself. Ardeth likewise made eye contact with no one, eating his dinner in grave, stony silence. Jonathan kept glancing around furtively, looking awkward, and occasionally opening his mouth to say words that never came out. Yasir spent his time between bites giving everyone else nasty looks, which Madeline often returned. Other than that, she too concentrated on her meal and ignored the people around her.

Soon, however, the silence began to get to her. There had to be a way to break the tension. She thought hard, hoping to think up something to say.

All she could think about was the scene that had taken place earlier. The way Ardeth and Yasir had treated Nasira. The way she had yelled at Ardeth. Now that she had cooled off considerably, she couldn't help but think back on what Yasir had said to Ardeth in the hotel room. At the time, her feelings had been hurt. Now, it made sense.

The more she thought about everything Yasir had said, the more she had to admit that it all made perfect sense. It was a hard thing to acknowledge. She didn't like the man. He made it impossible to like him. Yasir was arrogant, bitter, ill-tempered, insensitive, and possibly a misogynist. He treated Nasira like luggage, he undermined his brother's authority, and it was no secret that he was simply awful to Madeline herself.

But maybe the things he said seemed too harsh and unnecessary simply because they were true and Madeline didn't want to face it. After all, he was right. Just look at what he'd said about any possible romance between her and Ardeth. He hadn't bothered to keep his feelings about it a secret – in fact, he'd done the opposite. Yasir had come right out and told his older brother that it would be a mistake to marry Madeline… and honestly? He was probably right. She would make a terrible Med-jai. She didn't understand their culture. She disregarded the customs that she didn't like. The only real skills she had involved fighting – and apparently the women of the tribe weren't welcome to participate in battle. She could just imagine herself trying to sew or cook. It was not a pretty sight.

And there was no way she could yell at Ardeth like that in front of his people. She thought the way Yasir undermined his brother's authority was bad? If the rest of the tribe had seen the exchange between her and their chieftain earlier that day, it would have only spelled disaster. That in itself explained why Ardeth and she could never have that sort of relationship.

The whole thing was rather silly, actually. What had she been thinking? She got a little bit of whiskey in her, listened to some drunken whispers that clearly meant nothing to the whisperer, and then got a few kisses out of him. Had she really thought that night would lead to something more? Was she that naïve? He was a Med-jai chieftain. She was a cussing, pants-wearing, pistol-toting, disrespectful alcoholic with a tendency to humiliate herself and everyone around her. There was no way it could ever work out. His people would hate her. They'd be slipping snakes in her bed. Ardeth could do better. Ardeth _had_ to do better. She was simply not good enough for him. She wasn't good enough for the Med-jai. And if the way he'd been acting lately was any indication of what he'd be like as a husband, then Madeline didn't want any part of him anyway.

Yasir was right about one other thing too. They weren't getting any closer to figuring out a way to save both her life and the world. The only solution was getting more and more obvious. If they wanted to stop the resurrection, Madeline had to die… and she had to die soon, before Luke Berkley got his hands on her.

It was another one of Yasir's cruel but true observations. No one wanted to hear it, but that didn't make it any less real. She had to die. They couldn't wait much longer.

Well, that was enough of that. Madeline tried to shake herself out of her depressing reverie. Her eyes traveled around the campfire, checking out her companions. They were still silent and sulky. The awkwardness in the atmosphere just kept getting worse. She couldn't take much more of this.

Determined to break the tension, Madeline said, "So, killer mummies, huh? _That_ was the fourth phase? I sure as hell didn't see _that_ one coming."

"Nor did I," Jonathan replied instantly. He sounded almost grateful that someone had finally spoken. "I mean really, who'd have thought it?"

"How did that passage go again?" Madeline asked. "You know, the one that described the fourth phase?"

"And then, the poison of their snake having failed them, they turned instead to their own devices; and having succeeded, angered the queen so much that when she awaits her own resurrection, she will resurrect others to bring vengeance upon her people," Jonathan recited. Then he screwed up his face in thought. "Huh. Actually, that sort of does make sense, doesn't it? The queen was angry with her people for murdering her brother, so she resurrected dead people to kill the living Egyptians in an act of vengeance. Now that I think about it, it works. Actually, it's sort of… glaringly obvious."

He frowned as though he couldn't understand why he hadn't thought of it before. Madeline frowned too. Jonathan was right. In retrospect, the meaning of the passage _did_ seem perfectly clear.

"Wow," she murmured. "We're, um… really, really, really dumb. I mean, seriously dumb."

Jonathan looked mildly offended. "Well, I wouldn't say that…"

"I would," Madeline interrupted. "We're complete and total idiots."

"Speak for yourself, why don't you?"

Silence fell again. Not one of the Bays bothered to say a word. Madeline glanced at Jonathan, who merely shrugged. Finally, unable to take the tension one moment longer, Madeline announced, "Well, I'm going to bed."

"Me too," Jonathan added quickly. The two of them stood up immediately.

"I am also tired," Nasira put in, getting to her feet as well.

Neither Ardeth nor Yasir replied. Madeline, Jonathan, and Nasira hurriedly made their way to one of the two tents and ducked inside.

"This is simply awful," Nasira murmured despairingly. "They haven't said a word since the fight."

Jonathan shrugged, sprawling out on the ground. "Yeah, well. They'll get over it eventually. I'm not worried."

"Well, of course you are not worried," Nasira retorted. "What do you have to be worried about? They are not angry with you!"

"She makes a good point, Jonathan," Madeline said.

Jonathan snorted, tipping his hat over his face. "Maybe so. I say, your brothers are a couple of gits, no mistake."

Nasira sighed heavily. "They are just trying to do what they think is best."

"I know they are," Madeline agreed. "But they haven't stopped to think about what _you_ think is best."

She sighed again. "I should have stayed home."

"Don't talk like that," Madeline sympathized. "I'm glad you came. I need another ally. Your brothers have been driving me freaking insane."

Nasira mustered up a small smile and lay down on the ground. "Thank you, Madeline."

Madeline lay down too and stared at the canvas stretched over her head. Soon, the tent was filled with Nasira's gentle breathing and Jonathan's occasional snores. She sighed. Although her companions seemed to have drifted off to sleep fairly easily, Madeline was still wide awake. She couldn't stop thinking about the things Yasir had said. As much as it irked her, she also couldn't stop agreeing with him.

She heard cloth rustling behind her. Her hand instinctively closed around one of her pistols. Turning around swiftly, she rose up on her knees and aimed her pistol at the opening of the tent.

Ardeth stepped inside, his hands up in surrender. "I am sorry I startled you," he said quietly.

Madeline considered continuing to hold Ardeth at gunpoint, but decided against it. She lowered her pistol. "It's all right," she replied.

Ardeth stood hunched in the doorway, looking around the tent hesitantly. "They're asleep," Madeline informed him coolly. "If you wanted to talk to Nasira, then…."

"No," he interrupted. "I wanted to talk to you."

Madeline was quiet for a moment. "Oh," she said finally.

Ardeth glanced around the tent once more, and then knelt on the ground before her. Madeline sat up fully, crossing her legs underneath her, and gave Ardeth an almost baleful eye.

He sighed. "I think we need to have a very serious discussion."

"If this is about me sticking my nose where it doesn't belong," Madeline retorted. "Then you can save it. Because I am not apologizing. I know that you and your people have way different customs and ideas and whatnot from us wacky Americans, but that does _not_ excuse the way you treated your sister. You know, just because something is different doesn't make it wrong. And just because you're set in your ways doesn't make your ways right. If Nasira's not happy, then she's not happy. And forcing her to do what doesn't make her happy isn't going to make her any happier doing it!"

Ardeth was staring at her again. Madeline knew her little outburst had sounded rather… well, confusing. But she stood by what she said. "So there."

His response rather burst her bubble. "I was not going to talk to you about Nasira. I wanted to talk to you about Yasir."

It was Madeline's turn to stare. "Oh," she said again.

Ardeth looked down at the ground, suddenly appearing abashed. Madeline frowned. What now?

"I wanted to apologize," he murmured after a moment's pause. "Yasir… he… Yasir is a good man."

Madeline blinked. "Ok."

"He is," Ardeth insisted. "Yasir is a good warrior. A good Med-jai. He is loyal and trustworthy, and he always puts his duty before anything else. He serves me dutifully, he protects his sister, and he loves his people."

She stared at him. Ardeth's eyes were still fixed on the ground beneath him. "But… but perhaps… he was wrong to say what he said today. He should not have talked so lightly of your… situation. And his suggestions, they were… he was out of line. I apologize."

Madeline bit her lip. "Thanks."

He nodded.

She took a deep breath. "But, actually? Yasir wasn't wrong. He wasn't out of line."

Ardeth frowned. "What are you saying?"

"Look, I don't like your brother," Madeline announced. "Your brother's a jackass. He's arrogant, rude, bossy… the list goes on and on. But just because he's a jerk doesn't mean he's wrong. He's right, Ardeth. We keep hoping we'll find a way to save the world _and_ my life, but I just don't think it's going to happen. We're wasting time. Every second we spend searching for an answer that we won't find is one second closer to the end of the world. I don't want that on my head. I don't want to be the one responsible for this. We need to nip this thing in the bud."

Ardeth was staring at her like a man transfixed in horror. She hated the look on his face. He looked so… angry. It wasn't the grave, disappointed expression he'd given Nasira. It was actually angry. "Nip this thing in the bud?" he repeated incredulously. "How can you talk like that?"

She shrugged. "I'm just telling the truth. Kind of like Yasir. I know no one wants to hear the truth, but…"

"Do not let him get to you," Ardeth interrupted. "He is wrong. There _must_ be another way. I _know_ we will find another way."

"He's not wrong. And you don't know that. None of us do."

"And you don't know there _isn't _another way! You are as in the dark as the rest of us!"

Madeline sighed heavily. "But what if I'm right? What if Yasir is right? Then what? Are you going to do what needs to be done?"

Ardeth gawked at her. Madeline crossed her arms in front of her chest, blinking her eyes. Suddenly, they were watering. She must have gotten sand in them or something. "Look, I don't want this on my head. And if I have to die… well, I'm just not sure if I can take care of this myself. I… I need you to… please, Ardeth."

He shook his head, still gaping at her like she was some sort of mutation. "I will not kill you," he said.

"What if you have to?"

Ardeth said nothing. Madeline turned away. Then, suddenly, he grabbed her arms and forced her to look at him. "You are not dying," he said slowly and fiercely, looking directly into her eyes.

Madeline stared back at him. He held her gaze. Finally, after a long time, she forced herself to tear her eyes away from him. "You don't have to do this, you know."

"Do what?" he demanded.

"Pretend like you give a damn. What you said that night, when we were… I know you didn't mean it. I know you're embarrassed and you feel bad, but it's not really your fault. Jonathan spiked your drink and got you all… intoxicated. It's ok, Ardeth, really. I'm not hurt. You didn't mean it, and I don't expect anything out of you. I forgive you. Ok?"

Ardeth stared at her again. Madeline refused to make eye contact. Finally, Ardeth murmured, "I am glad for your forgiveness. Thank you."

She nodded.

Suddenly, his lips were mere centimeters from her ear. His warm breath tickled her skin. She could feel his stubble grazing the side of her face. "But I did mean it. Every word."

Madeline whipped her head around to look at him, but it was too late. He'd already pulled back and was getting to his feet. She opened her mouth to say something, but failed miserably at making the words come out. It was just as well, really. She had no idea what she was going to say.

Ardeth stepped outside and pulled the tent flap closed behind him. Madeline stared at the doorway, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. He'd meant it? He'd meant every word?

Even more confused than she'd been before, Madeline lay back on the sand, still gaping up at the canvas above her. Great. Now what was she supposed to do?

* * *

The next morning passed in silence, not unlike the night before. Madeline felt flustered and awkward. Nasira was still upset about the whole situation. Yasir was still being a jerk. Jonathan was clueless about the new developments of the night before. And Ardeth… well, he knew how to make Madeline crazy, that was for sure. He was still silent and grave, yet he would occasionally steal glances at Madeline that would send shivers down her spine. Whenever she'd look up to catch his eye, he would look away and go on with his work, pretending she wasn't there. It was positively infuriating.

Finally, once camp had been taken down and everything had been packed away in Jonathan's convertible, Ardeth announced, "Yasir, I wish you to return to the rest of the tribe. Last night, they sent word by Horus that they were coming here. I want you to intercept them."

Yasir nodded his assent. "Nasira shall come with me?"

"No," Ardeth replied. "Nasira shall stay here."

Nasira looked up at her brother with huge, hopeful eyes. Both Madeline and Jonathan exchanged shocked expressions.

Yasir did not take the news very well. "You are letting her stay?" he demanded furiously.

Ardeth nodded. "She wants a taste of a warrior's life," he murmured. "Let's give it to her. I can think of no better way to cure her of this affliction."

His younger brother did not look happy, but he bowed his head, obviously resigned. "What news shall I bring the rest of the tribe?"

"Tell them we are planning to induce another of the visions. They are to be on the lookout for anymore of Luke Berkley's men. I want nothing else to go wrong. When the vision is over, we will meet up again before moving on to the next location."

"Yes, my chieftain. My brother."

Yasir bowed to Ardeth. Ardeth clasped his hand around Yasir's wrist and pulled him upright. They shook hands. Then they exchanged a brief hug. "I am counting on you, Yasir," Ardeth said as they parted. "I know you will not let me down."

"Never," Yasir agreed.

There was a moment of silence. Finally, in a hesitant tone of voice, Jonathan broke the stillness. "Would you like to use my car?" he asked. The offer sounded strained, as though Jonathan was loath to make it.

Yasir shook his head. "I thank you, but no," he returned. His voice was stiff and almost disdainful, but Madeline heard slight gratitude as well. At least he had attempted to sound grateful. She gave him points for trying. "I prefer to walk. My men will soon find me, and they will have my horse."

Then he turned from them all and made his way back across the plain.

Ardeth watched his brother go. Once Yasir appeared to be nothing more than a black spot on the horizon, he turned back to the other three. Nasira stared at him hopefully. Ardeth approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I am still upset with you," he announced. "I am upset that you resorted to sneaking around behind my back. To disobeying me _and_ lying to me. But I understand your motives and they were honorable, even though your actions were misguided."

Nasira nodded, still looking ashamed. Ardeth continued with, "If you were unhappy, you should have told me. I am not Yasir. I am not our father. I know that all around us, times are changing. I am not afraid to change too."

His words caused a small smile to develop on Nasira's face. She rose up on her toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, brother."

He nodded, patting her on the shoulder, and then marched off towards the river. Jonathan raised an eyebrow at Madeline, shrugged, and then followed suit. But before Madeline could take off after them, she was tackled from the side by a tiny black blur.

"Nasira!" she hissed, startled by the strong yet tiny arms that were wrapped around her torso. "What are you doing?"

Nasira released her and took a step back. "I am performing a gesture of both gratitude and affection," she returned, as though it should have been obvious.

"Oh," Madeline replied. "Um… ok then. You too."

Ardeth's little sister laughed. She grinned up at Madeline gratefully. "This was your doing," she announced. "He listened to you. You made him think. Thank you."

Then Nasira rushed off after Ardeth and Jonathan. Madeline gaped at her retreating back, her face quickly flushing beet red. First, Ardeth telling her he'd meant his drunken ramblings, and now Nasira hugging her and thanking her for crap that Madeline hadn't realized she'd done? What was next? Was Yasir going to get down on one knee and profess his love for her? Seriously, the Bays were freaking nuts!

She began walking after her three companions, catching up to them quickly. All four of them were silent as they made their way towards the river, but this silence was much different than the silences of before. There was no awkwardness and no tension between them.

Except maybe for the awkwardness between Madeline and Ardeth. Ardeth's confession in the tent last night wasn't something either one of them could just ignore. Madeline wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Was she supposed to make a confession of her own? What sort of confession? What was she supposed to say? What had Ardeth said, really?

That he wanted her. All of the time. And that he would never forgive himself if she died.

Well, all right then. What was she supposed to say to that? I want you too? God, this was so freaking hard!

And so she walked on towards the river, thinking these thoughts and tormenting herself with questions that had no answers. After a while, they came upon the river bank. Madeline glanced around her. The Nile was gurgling peacefully along beside them. Behind them was the Meidum Pyramid, barely distinguishable at this distance.

And that's when it hit her. The pyramid might look different now than it had during Nitocris' time, but this all felt much too familiar to her. Glancing off into the distance like that… it was the exact scene from her dream.

Which meant that if she looked to her side and then down, she would see…

A muddy riverbank.

No, it wasn't just a muddy riverbank. It couldn't be. This was it! This was her vision! Now where was the underground chamber?

She stepped away from the muddy banks. There were large stones lining the riverbank. Maybe if she moved one of them…

It was the necklace. She blamed the jewelry. Somehow, the necklace knew the exact rock to move. Madeline reached out and gave one of the large rocks a mighty shove. It toppled over to the side, leaving a dark hole in its place. Then the ground beneath them shook and rumbled as though it was getting ready to unleash another earthquake… or another army of undead mummies.

"What is happening?" Nasira cried out as the ground shook.

"Is this another bloody earthquake?" Jonathan exclaimed. "I swear…."

"Madeline?" Ardeth demanded. "What did you do?"

Madeline stepped back from the hole as the ground continued to shake. As the four of them stood there watching, the ground parted in two and opened wide.

Eventually, the shaking and rumbling ceased. The ground stopped opening up beneath them. Before them lay an old, wide stone staircase that led directly into the dark chamber beneath the riverbank.

The four of them exchanged looks. Jonathan fished his trusty lighter out of his pocket. Madeline led the way into the chamber.

By the dim light of the lighter, Madeline saw the aftermath of the flood from her vision. The stone walls and pillars, once beautifully carved and painted, were now caked in mud and cracked with age. Long banquet tables were strewn haphazardly on the floor, busted and broken.

Skeletons adorned the chamber floor, twisted into sad shapes, badly decayed. Madeline crinkled her nose. That was simply charming.

"By Jove, what the bloody hell happened in here?" Jonathan exclaimed.

"The Nile busted in through that wall over there," Madeline replied, gesturing to the wall at the far end of the chamber.

"Oh," Jonathan murmured. "Cheery."

"I do not like the looks of this," Ardeth announced. "We should leave."

"Before I have my horrible, head-splitting vision?" Madeline returned lightly. "Don't be silly."

"Perhaps my brother is right," Nasira murmured hesitantly.

Madeline crossed the chamber towards the opposite wall. She was inclined to agree with Ardeth and Nasira, but something wouldn't let her take their advice. She felt like a woman possessed… a woman possessed by a necklace.

Jonathan was studying a relief on the wall directly beside the staircase with the aid of his lighter, his face screwed up in concentration. Nasira was standing nervously at the bottom of the stairs. Ardeth began to follow Madeline as she approached the wall.

The rumbling began again. Jonathan jumped. "Well that can't be good," he said.

The wall shook. Little fissures began appearing in the stone. The little fissures began to leak water.

"We should leave," Jonathan added.

The shaking and rumbling increased. Sudden paralyzing pain shot through Madeline's head.

Here we go again, she thought to herself.

The pain immediately increased tenfold. She fell to her knees with a loud cry.

"Madeline!" Ardeth shouted at her.

The rumbling and shaking got worse, and the stone began to collapse. Water poured into the chamber at an alarming rate, puddling on the floor around her. The pain in her head grew worse, and she cried out again.

"Madeline!" Nasira cried. "What is wrong with her?"

"It's those pesky visions," she heard Jonathan explain. "Maddie?"

A very unsettling crunching noise sounded above her head. Madeline forced herself to look up. The wall directly above her was cracking at a frightening speed. She tried to clamber to her feet, but only succeeded in collapsing on the floor in a heap.

The stone gave way. Water crashed down all around her, soaking her head to toe. She coughed and spluttered, still clutching at her temples.

"It's coming down the stairs!" Nasira shouted.

Madeline looked up, straining to see through the rushing water. Water was indeed dribbling down the stairs.

"Madeline!" Ardeth shouted.

She tried to crawl away from the rupture in the wall. "Jonathan!" Ardeth bellowed. "Take my sister out of here!"

"What?"

"I am not leaving!" Nasira hollered back.

"Please, Jonathan!" Ardeth cried, ignoring his sister's protest. "She can not swim!"

The wall gave way entirely in that instant. Water crashed down all around Madeline. She managed one deep breath before the water was swirling all around her.

From under the water, she could hear her friends' muffled shouting. Madeline managed to get a hold of a nearby pillar and hauled herself to the surface, despite the crippling pain in her head.

She broke the surface, gasping and choking. The water had already filled the chamber halfway to the top. Dimly she could see Jonathan dragging Nasira up the steps. They clung desperately to the wall, attempting not to get washed back into the chamber by the steady flow of water making its way down the stairs.

Ardeth's voice rang out, but Madeline couldn't see him. The pain in her head was making it impossible to concentrate on anything else. As it worsened, her fingers slipped from the pillar. Madeline felt herself sinking beneath the floodwaters.

Her lungs burned. Her head reeled. Madeline quickly lost consciousness.

* * *

The cries of the dying filled the night. Water quickly filled the banquet hall. Nitocris watched from above as the river water reached the top of the staircase and the cries coming from within the underground chamber faded away.

She looked over her shoulder almost wistfully at the Meidum pyramid. As she stood there, her ears perked. The queen turned from the pyramid and glanced across the river. She could hear hoof beats.

Nitocris turned and bolted from the scene. She raced away from the riverbank and back towards the pyramid. The Med-jai could not have seen her. They could not know what she had done.

She would make it back in time. Then she could end this, once and for all. Nitocris was well prepared for the end.

The pharaoh made it back to the pyramid and raced into the field spread out below it. She dodged mound after mound in the field, until she came to the largest one.

She ducked inside the open door and raced down the long tunnel. At the end of the hall was a glowing orange light.

Nitocris reached the end of the hall and threw herself through one of the doors awaiting her. The ground was strewn with red-hot embers. The queen stood before the embers in a dignified manner. She was whispering something under her breath. Her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply.

Her body landed hard on top of the embers. Flames crackled and rose higher and higher, blazing all around her prostrate form. The door shut heavily behind her.

A mummy was lowered into a shallow grave. Suddenly, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

And then there was darkness. Nothing but darkness. Not a sound, not a sight, just black and black and more black. A never-ending blackness that still seemed to signify an end.

* * *


	21. The Kidnapping

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Nelle07, Padme 4000, IllinoisRose, Lindsay, Jac Danvers, kaytieorndorff, idkaname, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, zentry, and Pirate Hero for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 21: The Kidnapping

Madeline's eyes flew open.

She was dripping wet and coughing uncontrollably. Water spewed out of her lungs into her mouth, and she nearly choked on it. Someone rolled her over on her side to accommodate her coughing. The water propelled itself forcefully from her lungs, soaking the sand beside her. Whoever had rolled her over was talking to her, but she couldn't understand a word her companion was saying.

After what felt like an eternity, Madeline finally stopped choking. Breathing heavily, she looked up at the owner of the hand on her shoulder. Ardeth's big, brown and concerned eyes stared back at her. He was soaking wet and covered in damp sand. His long black hair was wet and tangled, hanging in his face. The turban he always wore was gone.

"Madeline?" he exclaimed. He sounded half-panicked. "Are you all right? Madeline?"

She nodded, coughing again. Wincing, she managed to roll over on her back and meet Ardeth's eyes. With a start, she realized there was fear in them.

Madeline frowned up at him. "Please say something," he said quietly.

"I'm fine," she whispered hoarsely.

She coughed again. Ardeth kept staring at her. He didn't look relieved at all. In fact, he looked just as worried as ever.

Madeline glanced around them. "Where's Jonathan and Nasira?" she asked breathlessly.

He shook his head. His eyes didn't leave her face. "They got out," he murmured. "I saw them make shore safely. We washed up on the other side of the river. I'm not sure where they are now."

Madeline nodded to show she understood. She felt exhausted. It didn't help that Ardeth would simply not stop staring at her. On the bright side, however, it finally seemed to dawn on him that she was all right. Relief slowly replaced the fear in his eyes.

He tentatively raised one hand. Then he very gently brushed a strand of wet hair from her face.

It was Madeline's turn to stare at him. Suddenly feeling awkward, she tried to sit up, but her shaky arms wouldn't support her weight. Ardeth caught her around the waist as she fell, and then cupped the side of her face with his free hand. She continued staring at him, surprised. Then he kissed her heavily on the mouth.

Madeline was so shocked she just about fell over again. She grabbed hold of his arms and, to her great surprise, kissed him back.

"Well, well, isn't this sweet?"

A snotty, condescending British voice destroyed the moment. Ardeth pulled away from her, his eyes flashing dangerously. Madeline looked up to find Luke Berkley standing over them, arms crossed and smirking unpleasantly. He was flanked by several of his masked comrades.

Ardeth drew his sword so quickly that Madeline's eyes couldn't follow the movement. He got swiftly to his feet and stood over her protectively. Berkley's smirk grew wider at Ardeth's behavior. "I owe you one, Med-jai," he announced. "I've got to say, when she stopped breathing, I was worried for a moment. I mean, it wouldn't do to have my sacrifice drown in the floodwaters, now would it? Thank you, thank you ever so much."

Madeline looked up at Ardeth in shock. She had stopped breathing? Did that mean what she thought it meant?

Ardeth was too busy watching the men standing before them to pay her surprised look any mind. "You will not touch her," he returned coldly.

"Oh, that's even sweeter," Berkley laughed. "Gentlemen, I think that our Med-jai friend has a bit of a crush on our pretty little sacrifice! How do you feel about that Maddie?"

"Don't call me that," she rasped. "Oh, and burn in hell."

Berkley raised an eyebrow. "You never minded the nickname before."

"I mind it now," she returned.

His smirk turned into a leer that Madeline didn't like the looks of. "Of course you do," he said. "Well, enough chit-chat. Gentlemen, if you'd be so kind as to collect our winnings?"

His lackeys made to step forward, but Ardeth's voice, cold and deadly, stopped them in their tracks. "Make a move on her," he announced. "And I will slit you open."

Berkley's men stared at Ardeth, not moving. He glowered back at them. Berkley looked from his men to Ardeth and back again. He made an incredulous noise. "What is the matter with you?" he exclaimed. "Can you not see there's only one of him, and twenty of you? Math, people, it's not difficult!"

His argument must have been fairly convincing, because Berkley's twenty men charged Ardeth and Madeline as soon as he was done speaking.

Ardeth's sword flashed in the bright sunlight, clashing with the weapons of their attackers. Madeline drew her pistols only to find them useless. Wet powder. Cursing, she kicked one of the men racing towards her in the gut, knocking him to the knees, and swung her pistol into his head. He slumped to the ground. More men grabbed hold of her. Madeline fought back as hard as she could, but was quickly overpowered. There were just too many of them, and nearly drowning had taken up almost all her strength.

She could still hear Ardeth's sword clashing with the swords of his opponents. Berkley bent down and leaned in her face. "I want to know what you saw in your vision," he announced.

Madeline snorted. "Yeah? And I want to wear jewelry that isn't trying to kill me. We all want a lot of things we just can't have."

Berkley grabbed a hold of her hair and jerked her face towards his. "You are such a funny young woman," he said. "But I'm not in the mood for jokes. What did you see?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. I'm not going to tell you, you know I'm not going to tell you, and let's face it. We both know you aren't going to kill me. I mean, if you kill me, then game over. Nitocris dies with me. So why don't you just let me go?"

Berkley smiled far too sweetly at her. "You're absolutely right, Maddie. I won't kill you."

Suddenly, she heard Ardeth cry out in pain. Panicked, she turned her head to find him kneeling on the ground, clutching his collarbone. His sword was knocked from his hand. His attackers quickly restrained him. Though he fought, he seemed unable to break free.

"But him, on the other hand," Berkley went on, standing up straight. "Him, I might."

Madeline stared at Ardeth with wide eyes, willing him to be all right. Ardeth was breathing heavily, but he seemed perfectly alert. His eyes met hers.

"So, Maddie, what will it be?" Berkley asked, pacing back and forth between his two captives. "Tell me what you saw, or let me kill your friend?"

"Don't you dare tell him," Ardeth growled.

"That's right, Maddie, don't you dare," Berkley agreed in mock earnestness. "Gentlemen?"

One of the men restraining Ardeth punched him where he'd been injured. Ardeth cried out in agony, briefly going limp in his captor's arms. The man who'd hit him withdrew his hand, revealing blood-smeared knuckles.

Madeline kept staring at him, horrified. This was the unshakeable Ardeth Bay! He couldn't die! He…

"Had a change of heart, have you?" Berkley asked Madeline, almost conversationally. "Ready to talk?"

"Don't!" Ardeth shouted at her.

"Yes, Maddie, don't," Berkley said, again agreeing with Ardeth in order to mock him. "Gentlemen?"

Another man punched Ardeth in his injured chest. He groaned in pain. Once again, his attacker wound up with a bloody fist.

"How about now?" Berkley asked.

All she could do was stare fearfully at Ardeth, unsure what course of action to take. Her mouth was open as though she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Ardeth's eyes bored into hers.

"Do not tell him," he ordered.

"Maddie?" Berkley inquired.

She said nothing, still staring at Ardeth.

Berkley sighed. "Kill him," he commanded his underlings, his tone bored.

One of the men restraining Ardeth raised his sword. "No!" Madeline exclaimed, tearing loose from her captors. They were so surprised by her sudden leap that they failed to hold onto her. Madeline threw herself over Ardeth, causing the man with the sword to nearly hit her instead. At just the right moment, he faltered, his sword hitting the dirt instead of her back. He looked terrified at what he had nearly done.

"Don't!" Berkley shouted, panicked. "Hold your weapons!"

Ardeth's eyes willed her to get off him. She could see in his face that if she told Berkley what she'd seen, he was going to be furious with her. Madeline didn't move.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Berkley spoke up.

Madeline looked over her shoulder at the anthropologist. "If you kill him," she said in a deadly tone of voice. "Then you won't find out a damn thing."

"I'll only kill him if you don't start talking," Berkley returned. "So tell me, Maddie. Are you ready to start talking?"

"Don't do this," Ardeth murmured quietly. She looked at him. His eyes were begging her not to talk.

Madeline swallowed and looked back at Berkley. He stared at her expectantly. She took a deep, steadying breath.

"She was riding a horse," Madeline announced. "Trying to escape someone. She'd already killed the murderers of her brothers. There was a large lake… at the far end there was desert. She disappeared into the desert. There was a hut… after she went inside, the hut caught on fire."

Berkley got excited. "A lake, you say? Desert on one end?"

She nodded.

Berkley turned to his henchmen. "Tie them up."

"Both of them?" one man asked. "You wish to bring the Med-jai as well?"

"Of course I wish to bring the Med-jai," Berkley returned, as though his henchman was asking a stupid question. "Our dear little sacrifice seems so much more cooperative with him around."

Madeline was yanked off of Ardeth. Her arms were tied tightly behind her back. She watched as the same was done to her friend. Then one of her captors tied a cloth around her eyes, and she could watch no more.

She had saved Ardeth. But at what cost? They would bring him along, hold him prisoner… and kill him if she didn't do what they wanted.

What a mess she'd managed to get the two of them into this time.

Her captors dragged her roughly off the ground and shoved her along as they walked. She heard a door open. Then she was pushed inside what she assumed was some sort of vehicle and forced back into a seat. Someone sat down directly next to her. Then several doors slammed shut, and the sound of a motor started up.

She felt wind in her face. A lot of Berkley's men were yelling at one another in Arabic.

"Madeline? Is that you?"

Ardeth's voice. He must be the one sitting beside her. "Yeah. It's me."

"Are you all right?"

"Am _I_ all right?" Madeline asked incredulously. "You've got to be kidding. What about you? You're the one bleeding!"

"It is only a surface wound. I will be fine."

Madeline didn't believe him for a moment.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence. Finally, the vehicle they were in stopped. The door opened, and Madeline was forcibly dragged out of the backseat.

She was pushed and pulled down hallways, through doorways, and up stairways. After what felt like an eternity, her arms were untied and she was given a heavy shove.

Madeline nearly fell to the ground, but managed to keep her balance. She quickly tore the blindfold from her face. Her captors had placed her in what looked like a small hotel room. There was one large bed that seemed to take up the whole living space, and a door that led into a tiny washroom.

Ardeth was being untied at the entrance to the room. Once he was free, his captors shoved him inside too. He removed his blindfold as well, his eyes darting about frantically.

The men at the door said nothing to either of them. One of them tossed some medical supplies at Madeline. Then they closed the door and locked it. She and Ardeth were left alone.

Madeline turned to him, worried about his injury. Ardeth stared at her. "That looks terrible," she announced.

It did look terrible. There was a huge red patch on his robes, and Madeline couldn't help but feel panicky. "It is nothing," Ardeth murmured.

He looked sort of pale. Nothing her ass. "Go sit on the bed," she ordered, disappearing into the washroom. Moments later she reappeared with some water, which she sat on the table beside the bed. Then she set to gathering up the medical supplies from where they'd fallen on the floor.

Ardeth stared at her in an almost ironic way, as though he couldn't believe she had actually ordered him to do something. But whatever he was thinking, he didn't say. Without a word, he walked to the bed and took a seat on the mattress.

Madeline sat beside him, dumping her armload of supplies on the bed. The cloth from his robe was sticking to the gash in his chest. She stifled a gag. Ardeth watched her as she reached for his robes, her fingers suddenly trembling. Why the hell were her fingers trembling, anyway? This was _so_ not the time to develop a case of the shakes!

She had to remove his robes. Or, he had to remove his robes. Madeline was pretty sure she couldn't do it. She was also pretty sure she couldn't ask him to do it. "Um… I need to… uh… uh… your…"

Ardeth raised an eyebrow at her. He looked mildly amused, which only made her stuttering fit worse. "Can you just… I need to… your shirt… robes… thing… it's in the way. I… god damn it."

He apparently understood her ramblings well enough to know what she was asking. Ardeth took pity on her and untied his sash, allowing his robes to fall open. He wore dark pants underneath and nothing else. His chest was bare… and tan… and muscular…

And bleeding. Madeline took a deep steadying breath and wet one of the towels she'd been given. She started mopping up the blood on his chest and trying to clean the wound. It must have hurt, because Ardeth grimaced and closed his eyes. But in typical Med-jai warrior fashion, he remained stoically silent through the cleaning.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "This is all my fault."

She patted the wound with the dry end of the towel. "I fail to see how," Ardeth replied quietly.

Madeline glanced up quickly at him, and then returned her eyes to his wound. It wasn't as terrible as she'd thought, but it would require a few stitches. Luckily, their captors seemed to have anticipated that and provided her with a needle and thread.

She knew how to stitch up a wound – living with Rick O'Connell meant being prepared for the worst. But that didn't mean she enjoyed doing it. She threaded the needle and inserted it into his skin… promptly gagging at the sight before her.

"Think about something else," he suggested.

Madeline took his advice. As she sewed the wound shut, she contemplated the events that had led up to their capture. First she had nearly drowned in Nitocris' underground banquet hall, and then she'd had her vision. The vision had ended strangely, now that she thought about it. Same old mummy, same old scream… that had been normal. But what had occurred after it? Not so much. In all her other visions, she had woken up immediately after that. This time, she had entered a strange, black world. She could see nothing, knew nothing… there was only darkness.

Berkley's words replayed themselves in her head: "I owe you one Med-jai. I've got to say, when she stopped breathing, I was worried for a moment. I mean, it wouldn't do to have my sacrifice drown in the floodwaters, now would it?"

"You should not have told them what you saw," Ardeth spoke suddenly.

Madeline looked up at him, startled. "What?"

"You should not have told them your dream," he clarified. "Now that they know where to go, they will take you there and induce another vision. Then…"

"Yeah, right, the world will end," Madeline interrupted, irritated. She finished up the last of his stitches and reached for the bandages. "I was sort of in a tight spot, Ardeth."

He shook his head. "It does not matter. Now that they have us, they will use us to resurrect the queen and…"

"They were going to kill you!" Madeline snapped.

Ardeth stared at her.

"I wasn't going to let that happen," she finished, her voice only slightly more gentle.

Ardeth continued to stare at her. He looked as though he had more to say on the subject, but Madeline didn't let him start. She gave him an almost accusing look. "Did I die?" she demanded.

Ardeth frowned at her. "What?"

"Did I die?" she repeated herself. "Berkley said…"

"You weren't breathing when I pulled you out of the river," Ardeth interrupted, refusing to look her in the eye. The tone in his voice made it clear he wasn't eager to talk about the incident. "But you weren't dead."

"Did I…"

"You had a pulse," he interrupted again. "Faint, but there."

They fell silent again. Madeline returned to bandaging the newly stitched wound. "You should have let me die," she murmured.

He grabbed her hand roughly and pulled it away from his chest. Madeline looked up in surprise. The look in his eyes was almost frightening. She frowned at him and tried to yank her hand back. He didn't let go.

"Never say anything like that to me ever again," he said angrily.

She was taken aback. "Ardeth, I just…"

"I don't care. I never want to hear you say anything like that in my presence. Never wish you were dead. Never say it would be best if you were dead. Never tell me I should let you die. And never _ever_ ask me to kill you, ever again. Do you understand me?"

Something in Madeline bristled at being given orders. "I'm just being upfront about all this," she retorted. "Like it or not, my death…"

"I don't care!" he thundered. "Stop it! You don't know what I went through when you…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath. "When you…" He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "You weren't breathing, Madeline! I thought… I thought you were… I thought I had…" He sighed, releasing her hand. "Don't ask me to do it again."

Silence descended on the tiny room. Madeline bit her lip and returned almost hesitantly to her bandaging. Soon, she was finished. "You can put your robes back on," she nearly whispered.

He stared at her. She sighed. "Just go to sleep. You look like hell," she announced, changing the subject.

"You don't look so good yourself," he replied. "You should also rest."

She nodded. "I will."

He kept staring at her. Madeline disappeared into the washroom again, shutting the door behind her. Then she deposited the medical supplies in the cabinet under the sink.

She took a deep breath, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror. Ardeth was right. She _did_ look like hell. Madeline sighed. What a scene! They were both acting stupid, she supposed. Neither one of them had done the sensible thing. Both of them were willing to sacrifice themselves for the fate of the world, but not the other.

When had they turned into Rick and Evie? It felt like the adventure at Hamunaptra those five years ago… except this time, Rick and Evie weren't in the picture.

Madeline sighed again and stepped out of the washroom. To her surprise, she found Ardeth lying on the mattress with his eyes closed. He'd fallen asleep.

She leaned against the doorjamb and stared at him. What he had said about her nearly dying… she hadn't expected that. She hadn't really thought about what she must have been doing to him whenever they talked about the necklace. Constantly predicting there was no way to save her life, always saying it was best to let her die, even asking Ardeth to kill her if it came to that… it was too much to ask of anyone. And Ardeth wasn't the only person she'd hurt talking like that. Imagine what Jonathan must have felt! Selfish, that's what it was. What she was. She wouldn't do it again.

God, poor Jonathan. And Nasira too! They were probably worried sick about her and Ardeth right now. She wondered if they would manage to track her and Ardeth down before Berkley did anything too drastic. She wondered if it would even matter if they did.

Right now, it didn't matter. There was no escaping the tiny room. Madeline could hear the guards outside her door talking in Arabic. No escape that way. And there was no window.

No, for right now she and Ardeth were stuck. Madeline took a heavy breath, resigned to her fate. Then she made her way over to the bed and took a seat beside Ardeth.

His breath was slow and even. She brushed back a stray hair from his face. Madeline liked it best when his turban was missing and his long hair fell messily into his eyes. It made him look younger. Like maybe the weight of the world _wasn't _on his shoulders.

She rested her hand on his chin. Then she leaned in close and planted a gentle kiss on his lips.

Ardeth didn't stir. Madeline watched him a moment longer, and pulled away completely. Suddenly tired, she lay down on the bed beside him and faced the opposite direction.

No more asking her friends to take care of this thing for her. From now on, Madeline would rely on herself to solve this problem. She just hoped it would be over before anyone put two and two together. If she was angering Ardeth now, she could just imagine how furious he was going to be later.

* * *


	22. The Fiasco at Lake Qarun

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Like-Vines-We-Intertwine, The-Lady-Isis, Nelle07, Lindsay, idkaname, Pirate Hero, cyanide-adelie, Jac Danvers, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, midnight-flurry, zentry, Lucky Fannah, Ravenclaw Samurai, and Padme4000 for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 22: The Fiasco at Lake Qarun

A door was thrown open with reckless abandon, and it slammed into the wall with a loud bang.

Madeline started awake, reaching for pistols that she realized too late were gone. Blinking, she sat up in bed and looked around frantically at her surroundings. Beside her, Ardeth sat up as well, also reaching for weapons that were no longer at his disposal.

"Rise and shine!" a far too cheery voice called out. It was Luke Berkley.

Madeline glowered at him. "Bite me," she retorted.

He had entered the room, accompanied by his two fair haired accomplices and a host of masked men. "Somebody's cranky," he quipped. "Not a morning person, Maddie?"

"Mornings are fine," she replied. "Being held prisoner, on the other hand…"

"Oh, tut, tut," Berkley interrupted, waving at her dismissively. "Now, we've got a busy day ahead of us, so let's get started, shall we? First things first; you simply _can't_ wear that, Maddie."

He gestured at her outfit. Madeline frowned down at her dirty shirt, her equally dirty pants, and her heavy boots. "I've brought you something much more suitable," he went on. "Something you won't be embarrassed to die in."

Berkley reached behind him. One of his masked men was holding a box, and Berkley pulled a long white dress out of its depths. He held it up for everyone to see, grinning enthusiastically. "Don't you think this will look simply darling on her?"

"There is not a chance in hell I'm wearing that," Madeline spoke up.

"But you have to!" Berkley exclaimed, sounding scandalized. "It's part of the ritual!"

The blonde woman sniffed. "I don't think it matters whether she wears the dress or not," she announced snottily. "She'll still look ridiculous. Honestly, Lucas, I cannot understand _what_ you were thinking. When you told me you'd found an absolutely beautiful and striking young woman who'd be _perfect_ for the job, I was certainly not expecting a man with breasts."

Madeline blinked, rather taken aback. She wouldn't have called herself beautiful or striking, but a man with breasts was taking it a little too far.

Berkley rolled his eyes. "You'll have to excuse my sister," he said to Madeline. "She's an unbelievable narcissist. I suppose you thought our sacrifice should have been fine boned and blonde, Lavernia?"

She sniffed again. "All I'm saying is that…"

"Oh, shut it," the other blonde man interrupted rudely. "Don't get me wrong, baby sis, I'd have sacrificed you tomorrow. But if you'll remember correctly, there was a certain _complication_ that prevented you from being a suitable choice."

Lavernia sniffed a third time, and fell silent.

"Lavernia's prejudiced against brunettes," Berkley explained, again apologetically. "Don't you worry about a thing, Maddie. I think you're positively stunning."

"Oh, great," Madeline retorted. "Thanks a bunch. I'm all atwitter."

He smirked at her. "Anyway, the train leaves in a little more than an hour and we _must_ be on it. So if you'll just hop over into the bathroom and change into your new dress, we'll be on our way. Lavernia will help you."

"I will?" Lavernia asked incredulously.

"You know, I don't need help," Madeline said quickly.

"Oh, tut. I know you can put a dress on, my dear, but I thought maybe she could fix the situation you seem to be having with your hair."

Madeline frowned, fingering her long braid. "What's wrong with my hair?"

No one bothered to reply. "Lavernia?" Berkley asked pointedly.

His sister sighed heavily, as though the idea of helping anyone was a truly taxing thought. She took the box from Berkley and stormed off into the washroom. "Come along," she said to Madeline.

Madeline looked from the tiny blonde girl to the anthropologist. "I'm not wearing that dress," she announced.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Berkley replied, elbowing one of his men in the side. The chosen henchman stepped forward and trained a gun on Ardeth. "Then we'll just have to shoot your friend. Such a shame. It seems a rather silly thing to die for."

"All right, fine," Madeline snapped. "I'll wear the damn dress." Then she stormed angrily into the washroom and slammed the door behind her.

Lavernia sniffed, looking her up and down. "I can't believe this," she said. "I feel like I'm dressing up a monkey."

"I feel like I'm taking orders from a monkey," Madeline snapped. "Give me the freaking dress."

Lavernia lifted the dress out of the box like it was made of glass and held it out delicately for Madeline to take. Madeline snatched it from her, not even trying to be gentle. Lavernia looked horrified, but simply sat down on the edge of the tub and turned away.

"Why are you people even doing this?" Madeline asked as she changed her clothes. "What's in it for you? You're going to end the world! Last time I checked, ending the world doesn't turn out good for anyone."

"Our destiny was ordained long before we were born into this world," Lavernia murmured, her voice almost childlike. "It was our fate to raise our queen. Lucas, Charles, and I have devoted our entire lives to this one moment."

"Well, it sounds like a pretty stupid thing to devote your lives to."

"You would say that," Lavernia replied scornfully. "You wouldn't understand. An end is just the threshold to a new beginning. With her resurrection, the world will be given a fresh start. Things will be better this way."

"I'm not so sure everyone agrees."

"Everyone is ignorant. What are a few deaths in the face of great change?"

Madeline analyzed herself in the mirror. Lavernia's prediction had come true. The long silky white dress _did_ look ridiculous on her, particularly because it had thin little straps instead of sleeves. The lack of fabric around Madeline's muscular arms made her wide man shoulders particularly noticeable.

Great. Now she really did look like a man with breasts.

Lavernia held out a sheer, pale blue robe and a pair of delicate white shoes. "Here," she ordered. "Put these on."

She rolled her eyes, grabbing the robe and shrugging into it. It was as long as her knees and hung open in the front. Madeline adjusted it so it covered her more and then exchanged her boots for the shoes. "I suppose those few deaths won't be yours," she said scornfully.

The blonde's gray eyes flashed dangerously. She roughly pulled Madeline's hair out of its braid and began brushing it vigorously. Madeline winced. "Don't talk like that to me," she snapped. "I was willing to die for this. I was willing to be wearing that dress in your place. But I wasn't allowed the honor. I wasn't… right for the job."

She tried to make Madeline's hair lay evenly around her shoulders. "But now that you mention it," she smirked. "It is widely recognized that our pharaoh Nitocris is very loyal to her family."

"Family?" Madeline exclaimed.

Lavernia Berkley didn't bother to elaborate. "There," she said, giving Madeline a shove towards the door. "You look… presentable."

That was as good as a compliment coming from her. Madeline stepped out of the washroom to find Luke Berkley and several masked men waiting for her. Ardeth was gone, and so was the second blonde man, who Madeline had decided was Berkley's and Lavernia's brother. Charles, she remembered Lavernia calling him.

"Where's Ardeth?" she demanded.

"Who?" Berkley asked, sounding bored. "Oh, you must mean the Med-jai. He's fine, don't you worry about a thing."

He gave her an appraising look. "Much better," he announced. "I say, Maddie, you look absolutely gorgeous!"

Madeline glowered at him. "Now come along," Berkley said, grabbing hold of her wrist.

She yanked her hand back. "I am not going anywhere until you tell me what you did with my friend."

Berkley rolled his eyes. "I said he was fine, didn't I? He's waiting for us on the train."

Madeline glared at him distrustfully. "Now come," Berkley insisted. He nodded at his henchmen.

Two of them stepped forward and grabbed her roughly by the arms. She was practically dragged from the room and down the hall outside. She was escorted out of the building, which was located directly next to the railway station.

They led her to the train, and forced her to board it. Madeline was getting very nervous. What had they done with Ardeth?

Apparently, Berkley had sprung big bucks to get several private compartments. Madeline was led to one of those compartments and thrust inside. The door was slammed shut behind her.

Ardeth was sitting by the window.

He looked up at her entrance. His eyes widened. Madeline felt herself blushing. She very slowly approached him and took her seat beside him.

Ardeth continued to stare at her. Madeline glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "Don't even start," she said. "I'm perfectly aware that I look ridiculous."

He stared at her a moment longer. "You look beautiful," he said quietly.

She jumped as though startled. Then she frowned at him, unsure what to say. He ignored her, staring out the window. Finally, she sighed and faced straight ahead of her. "Well, thanks," she muttered. "At least I'll be sacrificed in style."

Ardeth didn't reply. After several long seconds of silence, Madeline began to worry that she'd upset him again with talk of her dying.

The train let out a loud whistle and started to move. Madeline let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her foot was tapping incessantly on the floor, and she seemed incapable of stopping it. She was actually nervous. And no, she was _not_ scared – shut up, head – she was _just_ nervous.

Ardeth's rough hand entwined itself in hers. Madeline looked up in surprise. He didn't look back at her; just leaned back in his seat and continued holding her hand.

Madeline took the hint. She leaned back in her seat as well and gripped his hand back.

* * *

The train ride was over. So was the camel ride that had followed it and taken up most of the night. It just figured, Madeline thought bitterly to herself, that the last leg of their trip would be completed by camel. An encounter with a camel was the only way Berkley could have made this experience any worse, and of course an encounter with a camel was exactly what she got.

But now, the camel ride was over. The sun had risen only a few hours ago. And Madeline, Ardeth, Luke Berkley, his family, and the Berkleys' host of masked henchmen were all huddled together on the shores of Lake Qarun.

"Does this look right, Maddie?" Berkley was asking her as he surveyed the rather large body of water before him. "Is this the lake you saw in your vision?"

It was hard to hear him over the loud buzzing sound coming from nearby. Madeline wasn't sure what was making that weird buzzing noise, but she knew it was driving her nuts. What _was_ it? And why did no one else seem to hear it? And while she was at it, why the hell was she so dizzy?

"This is right," she announced. "This is it."

Berkley nodded. "Well, then," he said. "Whereabouts would that hut you spoke of have been?"

Madeline shrugged. Berkley's passive expression grew dangerous. She quickly said, "I'm not sure. Everything kind of looks the same…"

"Well, _think_, Madeline," he growled, interrupting her. "Because if you can't point me in the right direction, I'm going to kill your friend."

His fingers rested on the small pistol attached to his belt. Madeline eyed the pistol warily and spared a glance at Ardeth. He was staring straight ahead at the lake and seemed completely unconcerned about the threat on his life. She swallowed, and murmured, "Well… I think it was over there. In the sand dunes."

"Ah, the Western Desert," Berkley murmured. "Can you tell me where?"

"Uh, well… maybe I better show you," she replied.

He nodded. "Yes, good idea. Come on, everyone!"

So much for the camel ride being over. In no time at all, everyone was back on their camels and headed for the far side of the lake, Madeline and Berkley at the forefront.

After a fairly long ride, Madeline told Berkley to stop. They were on the other side and quite a ways inland. "Here," she announced. "The hut was here."

"Excellent." There was a gleam in Berkley's eyes that Madeline didn't like the looks of. It was almost… maniacal. "Then here we will wait."

And wait they did. For nearly an hour. Berkley even had his men set up some tents so they could wait out of the heat. Although he was well prepared and had plenty of water for both his men and his prisoners, neither the water nor the shade did much to help Madeline. She was starting to feel sick, and wondered if the heat was getting to her despite all their precautions. Her vision was slightly blurry, her stomach felt queasy, and she was starting to get a headache.

Finally, Berkley snapped. "Well?" he demanded impatiently. "What is taking so long?"

"What is taking so long for what?" Madeline countered, although she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Your vision," he replied, exasperated. "Why haven't you had your vision yet?"

She shrugged. "Search me."

His eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he pulled his pistol on Ardeth. The Med-jai chieftain didn't even flinch. He didn't need to flinch – Madeline did it for him. "I've had enough," Berkley announced coldly. "Why aren't you having your vision, Madeline?"

He wasn't calling her Maddie anymore. It was a relief – the only person she really let call her Maddie was Jonathan, anyway. At the same time, it was unsettling. She was convinced it meant that Berkley's patience with her was gone. He was getting angrier – and closer to putting a bullet between Ardeth's eyes.

She swallowed and shrugged again. "I don't know!" she exclaimed. "It's not like I have control over the damn things! They just sort of happen!"

"What are you doing when they happen?"

"I don't know! Standing around, I guess! Exploring the place my last vision led me to! Nothing different than what we're doing now!"

"You are lying to me!" Berkley thundered. "Tell the truth, Madeline! Did your vision really lead you here?"

"Yes!"

He cocked the pistol and took a step closer to Ardeth. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she cried out desperately. "Yes! I'm sure! I don't know what to tell you, Luke! I don't understand! I don't understand anymore than you do! Just wait! Wait! It will happen!"

He seemed taken aback by the use of his first name. Madeline wasn't really sure why she had called him Luke – maybe she was hoping to appeal to his better nature? Remind him that he had genuinely liked her before all this crap happened… at least, she though he had. Maybe she was wrong about that too.

Berkley didn't lower the pistol, but he seemed less certain. "It will happen?" he repeated.

She nodded. "Please…"

Madeline couldn't finish the sentence. She wanted to plead for Ardeth, but at the same time she didn't want to put any more ideas in Berkley's head.

Berkley lowered the pistol. "Fine," he said tightly. His mouth was set in a rigid line and his eyes were flashing dangerously. Then, slowly, an almost evil little smile formed on his face. "I'll wait."

She wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but her common sense wouldn't let her. There would be a twist, she was sure of it. What did Berkley have up his sleeve now?

"We will all wait," he announced, loudly and almost jovially. He sounded half insane. He probably was. "We'll wait as long as it takes!"

He turned on Madeline. "And you and your little Med-jai friend will get to wait together," he said nastily.

She forced herself to keep staring back into those horrible gray eyes. She couldn't believe she'd ever thought they were sexy. Killer gray eyes, she had called them. They were killer, all right.

"Out in the desert," he went on. "Away from the tents. In the sunlight. How nice for you. You can get a tan!"

Madeline swallowed. Berkley glanced over at Ardeth. "Although, he might not need one," he added delicately.

She glowered at him. He ignored the look. "And not a drop of water until someone has a vision," he said icily.

His eyes met Madeline's. She wanted to wince, but wouldn't let herself. He was going to sweat it out of her. He knew the truth, and he wasn't going to rest until she came clean.

Berkley called out to a few of his men. They grabbed both Madeline and Ardeth by the arms and dragged them roughly from the shade. The two of them were marched out into the desert and left to stand under the scorching sun.

"And if you even _think_ about sitting down," Berkley shouted from the tents. "I'll shoot out both your kneecaps! And that goes for _both_ of you, Maddie! After all, a busted kneecap never killed anyone!"

The men that had led her and Ardeth out into the sun were nearly back to the shade now. Madeline glanced at Ardeth. He was staring steadily at the men who had their guns trained on them.

She looked away from him, her eyes suddenly watering. Stupid sand. Madeline blinked a few times and managed to stop the watering before Ardeth noticed. She didn't need him seeing that and thinking she was crying or some other such nonsense.

What a mess she'd managed to get the two of them into this time.

* * *

Over two hours passed. Madeline wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out. Her breathing had started to come very fast and shallow. Sweat trickled down her forehead and her neck. She swallowed, trying to moisten her dry throat. The desert in front of her had turned into a big tan blur.

She glanced at Ardeth. He seemed fine, despite the sweat running down his face as well. Madeline supposed she shouldn't be too surprised that the heat had gotten to her first. Ardeth had several advantages over her in this waiting game. For starters, he lived out in the freaking desert. He stood guard over Hamunaptra without shade for days at a time. He had learned how to survive with little water. He was acclimated to this sort of situation. Madeline was not.

Furthermore, she had felt sick to start with. She bet Ardeth hadn't felt sick at all. Now the sickness was worse.

Her legs were starting to tremble. She swallowed again, feeling sick to her stomach. Then she blinked several times. Her vision just kept getting fuzzier and fuzzier.

Ardeth's hand rested on her hip. She felt his chest behind her back. The heat was suddenly ten times worse. She imagined he felt the same. Their proximity couldn't be comfortable for either of them in these temperatures. Still, the extra support was nice.

"Try to stay upright," he murmured, almost in her ear. "Don't let him see what he's doing to you."

"I'm not sure it's him that's doing this to me," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"Never mind."

The minutes dragged by. More sweat rolled down her face and her neck. Her stomach was turning. She swallowed and took a deep breath. Her head reeled.

Her knees buckled. Ardeth caught her around the waist. She dry-heaved.

He lowered her to the ground. Madeline threw up in the sand.

Ardeth held her hair back from her face. At the moment, she was too sick to be embarrassed. Once she came back to her senses, however, there was no doubt she'd be humiliated. His arm was still wrapped tightly around her waist, keeping her steady.

When her stomach was empty, Ardeth tried to help her back up on her feet. It was no use. As he hauled her up off the ground, her head spun and her vision faded to black. She felt Ardeth tighten his grip on her as she went limp. The world came back into focus momentarily.

"Are you all right?" Ardeth asked her.

She shook her head in the negative. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

He frowned at her. "What for?"

Madeline took a deep breath. She grabbed his arm tightly, feeling the world spin. Then her vision went black again, and she fainted against Ardeth's chest.

* * *

The cries of the dying filled the night. Water quickly filled the banquet hall. Nitocris watched from above as the river water reached the top of the staircase and the cries coming from within the underground chamber faded away.

She looked over her shoulder almost wistfully at the Meidum pyramid. As she stood there, her ears perked. The queen turned from the pyramid and glanced across the river. She could hear hoof beats.

Nitocris turned and bolted from the scene. She raced away from the riverbank and back towards the pyramid. The Med-jai could not have seen her. They could not know what she had done.

She would make it back in time. Then she could end this, once and for all. Nitocris was well prepared for the end.

The pharaoh made it back to the pyramid and raced into the field spread out below it. She dodged mound after mound in the field, until she came to the largest one.

She ducked inside the open door and raced down the long tunnel. At the end of the hall was a glowing orange light.

Nitocris reached the end of the hall and threw herself through one of the doors awaiting her. The ground was strewn with red-hot embers. The queen stood before the embers in a dignified manner. She was whispering something under her breath. Her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply.

Her body landed hard on top of the embers. Flames crackled and rose higher and higher, blazing all around her prostrate form. The door shut heavily behind her.

A mummy was lowered into a shallow grave. Suddenly, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

* * *

"Wake up, damn it!"

Madeline's eyes flew open and she found herself staring into a pair of angry gray eyes.

Charlie Berkley.

"Charles, please," Luke Berkley's voice cut in silkily. "Calm down."

He took his brother by the arm and lifted him to his feet. Charlie rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Now, Maddie," Berkley said with exaggerated patience. "Would you like to tell us what _that_ was all about?"

"I should think that would be obvious," Ardeth's voice growled from behind her.

She looked up to find it was his chest holding her head up.

"Really?" Berkley asked condescendingly. "Well, enlighten us."

Ardeth glowered at Berkley. "You knew this would happen," he bit out. "You forced her to stand out here, in the heat, with no water…!"

"Oh, tut," Berkley rolled his eyes. "Settle down. Maddie, dearest, are you ready to tell us the truth now?"

She narrowed her eyes. Her head still hurt like a bitch, and her throat was dry. "I had a vision," she practically croaked.

"Really?" Berkley gave her wide, mock-inquisitive eyes. "A vision, you say? Odd. I didn't notice any fires breaking out."

Madeline raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb," he snapped. "And don't insult me by thinking you can pull the wool over my eyes anymore than you already have. You know as well as I… perhaps better than I… that every time you have a vision, one of the seven phases of the resurrection occurs. Really, Maddie, I'm surprised at you. You should know by now I'm smarter than this. Do you really think I would resurrect Nitocris without knowing every little detail about the process?"

She swallowed. "Maybe the fire happened somewhere else. Back in the city on the other side of the lake."

"Don't lie to me, Maddie," he pressed on. "I've had quite enough of your lies. What did you _really_ see back at Meydum?"

"I told you…"

Luke Berkley slapped her hard across the face.

For a moment, Madeline just stared at him, shocked. Her cheek was stinging, but she tried to ignore it. Luke Berkley had just smacked her in the face. She'd never thought he was the type. Sure, he could kidnap women and force them to wear cursed jewelry and threaten the lives of their friends… but actually slap them? Slapping a woman seemed like something Berkley would consider beneath him.

Ardeth moved from behind her. She fell backwards into the sand. Suddenly, his hands were fastened around Berkley's neck. He pinned the anthropologist to the sand. Berkley looked astonished – and very blue, now that Madeline thought about it.

His men leapt forward. "I will kill him!" Ardeth shouted at them.

They froze. "Give her water," Ardeth ordered.

Lavernia grabbed a canteen from her brother's hand and handed it to Madeline. She managed to sit up in the sand and gulped the water down.

One of the masked men suddenly hit Ardeth in the face, knocking him sideways. Berkley was free. The man advanced on Ardeth, his gun aimed at the man's head. Berkley scampered away.

Madeline dragged herself to her feet and stepped in front of Ardeth. Her knees were weak, and she could feel herself swaying. Still, she forced herself to stand up straight and stare down the man with the gun.

He lowered his weapon and glanced over at the Berkleys for guidance. Lavernia was helping a breathless Luke to his feet. Charles was glowering at both Madeline and Ardeth. She ignored him and thrust the canteen behind her, at Ardeth.

"Have some," she told him.

He took the canteen, staring at her in surprise.

Madeline looked Berkley in the eye. "Fine," she announced. "I lied. This isn't the right place."

"You'll pay for that," Charles snapped. "I'll have your Med-jai friend beaten to death!"

"Go right ahead," Madeline returned carelessly. "I'll just lie again. Or better yet, tell you absolutely nothing."

Charles looked taken aback. "If you don't lead us to the right place, you'll _die_," Lavernia pointed out.

Madeline shrugged. "Big deal. If I do lead you to the right place, I'll still die. I'm sort of low on options here."

The Berkleys stared at her. "Now," she said. "I'll cooperate… _this time_. But only if you guarantee that Ardeth won't be harmed. Do I make myself clear?"

"Why should we trust you?" Lavernia asked.

Madeline shrugged. "Do you have any better ideas? You don't really have a choice."

"She's right," Luke rasped out. "Whether we like it or not, Maddie here is in charge. Fine. If you lead us to the correct spot, we won't hurt a hair on your friend's head. But if you lie again, I'll cut off his arm. After that, we'll be bargaining with his head."

Madeline glowered at him. "There are other people I can threaten besides you and him," Luke went on. "Like your good pal, Jonathan Carnahan. He lives in Cairo, correct? Owns that bar, what's it called… the Drunken Scarab? Oh, and your new friend, the beautiful Nasira Bay. I believe she's in Mr. Carnahan's company at the moment."

She heard a growl deep in Ardeth's throat. "Hit a nerve?" Berkley asked him.

Ardeth glowered at him. "If you hurt my sister…"

"You'll be dead," Berkley interrupted. "So why waste my time with idle threats?"

The anthropologist again addressed Madeline. "And after your friends, there's always your family. Like your beloved older brother, Rick O'Connell? Or his lovely wife, Evelyn. They live in London, I believe."

"If you…."

He cut her off. "And then of course, there's always that adorable nephew of yours. Alex, is it? He's what, three now? Four?"

Madeline glared at him. "You sick bastard," she snarled.

"Yes, I've heard that before," Berkley murmured, apparently not taking offense. "So, what will it be Maddie? Tell the truth? Or lose everyone you care about, one by one?"

She glowered at Berkley some more. He smiled inanely back at her, waiting expectantly for her inevitable acquiescence.

"It was Luxor," she said. "I think. It looked similar. There was a temple…"

"The temple we found the necklace at," Lavernia said in a hushed voice.

Madeline kept going. "She ran inside the temple. There was a hidden room. She…" Madeline trailed off, and shrugged. "Well, you know the rest. The fire and all."

Berkley drew his gun and leveled it at Ardeth's head. "And you are sure about this?"

She nodded.

"Remember what happens if you lie?"

She nodded again.

"It sort of makes sense," Charles spoke up. "That's where we found the necklace, after all. And in a hidden room, too. Maybe that temple's older than we thought."

Berkley lowered his gun. "All right," he announced. "We'll go to Luxor. But if you're lying, Madeline, I'll shoot him." Berkley nodded at Ardeth. "Then I'll track down Mr. Carnahan, and Miss Bay, and your loving family back in England."

He turned away from her and called out orders to his men. Ardeth stood up off the ground and placed his hand on the small of her back. They followed Berkley and his men back to the camels and watched in silence as the men packed everything up. Then they mounted their camels and rode back towards the train station.

* * *


	23. The Escape

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Big thanks to all my reviewers; The-Lady-Isis, idkaname, Nelle07, Lindsay, IllinoisRose, zentry, Jac Danvers, Padme4000, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, Pirate Hero, and Amanda! Thanks, guys!

* * *

Chapter 23: The Escape

By the time their large group made it back to the train station, night had fallen. All of Berkley's men were grumbling to themselves, and Madeline assumed they were tired and hungry. She could tell that Berkley's sister was tired too – she had fallen asleep on her camel, and no matter how many times Charles poked her would not wake up.

It might have been comical if Madeline hadn't been so tired herself. She was absolutely exhausted and literally felt like crap. Her head was still killing her, her stomach was still turning, and she nearly fell off her camel when she dismounted.

The thought of a long train ride to Luxor sounded like torture. Feeling nauseous and light headed, Madeline leaned against the smelly camel she'd rode in on while Berkley sorted out the ticket situation.

Or rather, while Berkley _attempted _to sort out the ticket situation. Madeline had no idea what was going on, but Berkley sounded pissed. She could hear the anthropologist making a big fuss with one of the tellers there, but his fussing did no good. Madeline didn't bother trying to listen to the argument. She was too tired and sick to focus on what was happening around her – and furthermore, she didn't give a rat's ass. For whatever reason, they weren't getting a train out of there that night, and that was fine with her. They could stay out at Lake Qarun and rot, for all she cared.

But staying and rotting didn't seem any more on the agenda than getting a train that night. Instead, Berkley went ahead and got rooms for the night at another motel. Madeline and Ardeth were escorted to their motel room and locked inside. She was fine with that. She was exhausted, and she wanted a drink.

Her stomach protested at the thought of liquor, but she ignored it. She had messed up big, and she needed a way to dull the pain. Stumbling towards one of the cabinets in the room, she began searching for a mini-bar or something. Berkley had a tendency to spring for nice things, despite the situation – be it private train compartments or decent hotel rooms. Maybe, if she was lucky, there'd be alcohol in their expensively furnished prison.

"You should lie down," she heard Ardeth say from the other side of the room.

She ignored him and continued her search. It was difficult, considering her shaky knees and fingers, not to mention her throbbing head and turning stomach. But she had to find something – _anything _– to make her forget.

They were in so much trouble. She had messed up so big. First, she had lied about her vision and led Berkley to Lake Qarun. That charade hadn't lasted long, so she'd had to think up a new one. Now they were on their way to Luxor, and Madeline knew very well they should be headed back to Meydum instead.

When Berkley found out, there would be hell to pay. Ardeth would be killed, the rest of her friends and family would be tracked down, and then… and then they would die too.

She knew _she_ was going to die. That was inevitable. She had accepted that. Her only concern at the moment was the lives of the people she cared about.

And maybe, just maybe, she was a teensy bit… scared.

But she wasn't going to admit that.

"You should get out of here," she said to Ardeth as she searched the cabinets for liquor.

"What?" he asked, sounding confused.

"You need to leave," she repeated. "Me… I'm stuck. I need to stay. Besides, I'm only going to get sicker from here on out, and the sicker I get, the more I'll slow you down. But you can leave. At the first opportunity you get, please just…"

"You lied to him again," Ardeth interrupted, finally understanding.

"Well, of course I lied to him again!" she snapped as loudly as she dared, turning from the cupboard she was tearing apart. "Do you really think I'm going to let him destroy the world? Yeah, right. I don't need that on my head."

Ardeth was staring at her, shaking his head. "You are killing yourself," he murmured.

"I have to," she retorted, and returned to her quest.

"I'm not leaving."

"You have to leave!" she hissed at him, again abandoning her search. "Once they figure out I'm lying, they'll kill you! I can't let that happen. You have to get out of here!"

"I won't…"

"You have to! If not for yourself, then for Jonathan, and Nasira, and my family! You have to escape so you can warn them! Once he kills you, he'll come after them."

They were staring at one another. Ardeth shook his head again. Madeline turned away from him once more, still intent on finding something to drink.

"What are you looking for?" he asked. The tone of his voice was almost accusing, as though he knew exactly what she was looking for and he didn't approve.

"Whiskey," she said shortly. "Or bourbon, or schnapps, or anything at all with alcohol in it. If I'm lucky, I'll find something."

She heard him cross the room. Ignoring the sound of his footfalls, Madeline quickened her search, feeling almost desperate. She needed something, anything…

His hand fell on her shoulder. "Stop it," he murmured. "You'll only make yourself sicker."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"Just leave me alone!" she snapped at him. "You don't understand! I… I… damn it!"

She slammed the cupboard doors shut. "Why isn't there any booze in here!" she half-shouted.

Madeline got violently to her feet, stumbling as she straightened. Ardeth grabbed a hold of her arms. "Stop it," he commanded.

"You stop it!" Madeline retorted angrily, shrugging him off. Her eyes were starting to burn. She swallowed hard, trying to ignore the tears pricking at her eyes and the hysteria mounting in her chest. "You don't understand! Everything's such a mess! Everything's _been_ such a mess! And it's all my fault, and I can stop it, but you won't let me! No one will let me! And now he's going to hurt everyone I love, and I can't stop him, and you won't leave like I told you to, and I'm stuck here, and I'm going to _die, _damn it, I'm going to freaking die, and all I want is a drink! I just want a drink! I want a drink, and I can't have one! I… I… I…"

Ardeth took hold of her arms again as her hysterical ramble petered out into a squeaky stutter. "It won't solve your problems!" he thundered. "It never will! You can not rely on it the way you do! It does nothing good, Madeline! Stop trying to fix everything with whiskey!"

She shoved him away from her, and stumbled. He caught her around the waist before she fell. The tears were starting to spill over her cheeks. God, she just wanted a freaking drink. That's all she wanted.

But there was no drink here. And there was no way to numb the feelings she'd been trying to ignore for so long. There was no way to stop those goddamn tears.

An involuntary sob escaped her throat as the tears trickled down her cheeks. Ardeth pressed her tightly against his chest and her fists curled around the front of his robes. The long overdue tears couldn't be stopped now. Finally, she was crying.

She buried her face in his chest and let the tears roll. There was no restraint now. He held her tightly against him, stroking her hair. She didn't stop until she'd shed every tear and completely exhausted herself.

"Everything will work out fine," he said quietly.

"Liar."

There was a long silence. "I don't want to die," she said shakily, her face still hidden in his robes.

"I'm not going to let you."

"You have to let me. We both know you do."

"Jonathan will find another way," Ardeth replied stubbornly. "We will get out of here, and Jonathan will have found another way."

"No," Madeline shook her head, pulling back to meet his eyes. "_You're_ getting out of here. Me, I'm just…"

"I won't leave without you," he interrupted. "Either we both escape, or neither of us does."

There was a long silence. Madeline felt the hysterics about to come back. "I can't do this," she cried. "I don't know how to handle this! I just… I…"

He pulled her back against his chest. Madeline remembered Berkley threatening Ardeth's life, and how unconcerned he'd seemed about the whole thing. "You're so much better than I am," she murmured. "You wouldn't be crying if you were me."

She meant it too. Ardeth _was_ better than her. He was too good for her. He should just leave, as soon as he had a chance. Leave her behind to die. It was only right. It was the only way to save the world.

"You do not know that," he replied.

"Yes, I do."

"No, you don't."

"I'm such a coward."

"You are _not_ a coward. You are willing to die here so Berkley's plans will not succeed, even though you are afraid. No one can call you anything but brave. You do not realize your own worth, Madeline. You never have. You do not see what I do."

Madeline snorted. "No one sees what you do."

"Then they are all fools."

There was a long pause. "Stop being nice to me because I'm dying and sad," she whispered.

He sighed, exasperated. "Why won't you believe I mean what I say? Why do you always think I'm lying to you? When have I ever lied to you?"

When had he ever lied to her? Well… well… well, honestly she wasn't sure. Now that she thought about it, Madeline suddenly realized she couldn't recall a single lie Ardeth had ever told her – except maybe when it came to his own well-being, and that wasn't exactly a bad sort of lie, was it?

Perhaps he was right. Maybe he never had told her a lie.

Well, that settled it, she decided. He really was too good for her. He was too good for anyone, actually. Didn't the man have any goddamn faults?

They were quiet for a long time. "Come," he whispered in her hair. "Lie down."

She nodded into his chest. After all, she really did feel exhausted. He took her hand and led her to the one bed in the room. Then she lay down on the mattress. Ardeth turned out the lights and lay down beside her.

Madeline stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She was tired, but there were too many thoughts running through her head to sleep at the moment. She glanced over at Ardeth. He too lay flat on his back, his eyes trained on the ceiling. It was hard to tell in the dark, but she thought that he too was awake.

It wouldn't do to show another moment of weakness. The scene from only seconds before had been weakness enough. She wasn't sure how she was ever going to redeem herself now. It had been her intention from the start to put her fears aside and be the strong one. She had made the decision to be strong and do what had to be done, no matter what that meant having to do. Even if it meant dying, she had decided that she would have to do it. She had never intended to show Ardeth that carrying out her decision actually terrified her. In all honesty, she had never intended to show _herself_ that she was afraid to die.

But hey, as long as she was screwing up and breaking down, what was one more embarrassing and needy action? Craving the comfort his arms provided, Madeline stared at him a moment longer, nervously chewing her lip. Finally, she scooted over closer to him. He must have sensed what she wanted, because he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close. Madeline laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she managed to fall asleep.

* * *

It was difficult to wake up the next morning.

At first, Madeline had thought the voice saying her name and the finger tapping her face were all part of a dream. Then, slowly, as she came to her senses, she realized that the voice and the finger belonged to Ardeth, and he was trying to wake her up.

She forced her eyes open and squinted up at Ardeth. He was frowning down at her in concern. "What?" she asked croakily.

The frown faded slightly. "They want us ready to leave soon," he murmured. "You should get up."

Madeline snorted. "Like I give a damn what they want. Screw them."

A small, amused smile appeared on Ardeth's lips. "Are you feeling any better?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. Let's find out."

Slowly, she sat up in bed. Immediately, her vision clouded and her head spun. Blinking several times and clutching her forehead, Madeline forced herself to stay upright.

Ardeth's hand rested heavily on her back. "Are you all right?"

"No," she replied with a sigh. "Not really. This necklace is a real bitch, you know that?"

The door was suddenly flung open. All three of the Berkley siblings stood in the doorway, flanked by their masked henchmen. Charles and Lavernia were glowering at them, but Luke was wearing his normal, deceivingly mild smile. "Well, good morning at last, Maddie my dear," he simpered. "You were out stone cold when I last checked on the two of you. Still not feeling well?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I feel great. Really. Just flipping fantastic."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Berkley replied. "The train leaves soon, and it simply won't do to miss it. Come along, you two."

"You know, I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop saying 'come along' every time you take us somewhere," Madeline announced. It hurt her throat to talk, but she couldn't just sit silently and take Berkley's abuse. It went against every fiber in her being. "We're not dogs, you know. Or schoolchildren."

Berkley rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm perfectly aware. Now, get moving or we'll miss the train."

Glaring at the anthropologist, Madeline got to her feet. Ardeth stood with her and placed a steadying hand on her back. There was nothing in the world that Madeline wanted more at that moment than to just sink back into that bed and slip into unconsciousness. She had never felt so tired and weak before in her life. But Berkley was not going to know that, not if she could help it. The last thing she wanted to do was show that jackass any weakness.

The two of them made their way to the door. Charles Berkley reached out and grabbed her roughly by the arm, pulling her into the hallway. The gesture was too much for her light head and she nearly collapsed to the floor. Ardeth caught her around the waist and yanked her arm back from Luke's brother. "You ought to take more care with her," he murmured dangerously.

Charles drew his face up close to Ardeth's in a menacing manner. "Are you telling me what to do? I don't believe you're in any sort of position to be handing out orders, Med-jai. Perhaps back with your tribe, when you were chieftain. But here? Now? Not the time or place."

Ardeth was not even slightly intimidated. "Can you not see she is ill?" he snapped. "Or has your arrogance blinded you to _everything _around you, not just the foolishness of your mission?"

"I'll rip your throat out, Med-jai…!"

"Charles, do be calm," Luke said idly. He was waiting impatiently some distance down the hall. "We don't really have time for you to engage in one of your pissing contests."

The other Berkley brother fumed. "Did you hear him? He called us arrogant and foolish!"

"You _are_ arrogant and foolish," Ardeth barreled on mercilessly. Several of the masked men had looked up in interest. The silent warrior had begun to talk back to his captors at long last. "Do you really believe the queen will show mercy on you and your followers? Have you not heard the legends? Or have you discarded them in your dark, ambitious pursuits? Were they too inconvenient to regard? To resurrect Nitocris is to bring death and destruction upon the world. She died bitter and alone. She will awaken the same way. What happened to her brother destroyed all her compassion and her mercy. She has nothing but hatred for all of mankind."

"Ah, yes," Luke Berkley returned, sliding into the conversation before Charles could make an angry retort. "Nitocris _does_ hate all of mankind. But you are forgetting one very important thing, Med-jai. Her vengeance and her hatred are all for the love of her brother – her _family_. And I don't think it's ridiculous to believe that upon her awakening, Nitocris will reach out to her family. That she will offer them her protection as she wreaks havoc on the rest of the earth. That she will treat them as nobility while all other men and women are treated as slaves. We are that family, Med-jai. We are the descendents of the long dead and rightful pharaoh, Nitocris!"

"Are you insane?" Madeline asked, coughing as she posed her question. "I don't know if you nut-jobs have noticed, but you're blonde and British. That doesn't exactly scream descendents of an Egyptian pharaoh to me."

"The bloodline was muddied along the way," Berkley returned. "I won't bore you with the details. Someone somewhere hooked up with a Brit, that's all you need to know. But the legend lived on, passed down through the generations. The story of the heroic queen was preserved for thousands of years, and the mission to find her necklace and resurrect her has lived on with it. Charles, Lavernia, and I only count ourselves lucky that _we_ are the generation to finally complete our family's destiny. We will resurrect our queen, and receive our eternal reward."

Madeline snorted. "Okay, crazy."

"Laugh all you want, Maddie my dear," Berkley returned coldly. "But you'll be the first to die."

"She will not," Ardeth replied calmly – much too calmly.

The anthropologist smirked. "You think so?" he asked. "Ardeth Bay, chieftain of the twelve Med-jai tribes? You know, you were my biggest threat when it came to the completion of the resurrection, Chieftain. Silly me, being worried about _you_. It turned out that you weren't quite as threatening as I had thought. You failed, Med-jai. You failed, and I won."

Berkley had hit a nerve, and everyone could see it. Ardeth did not like being told he was a failure. At the half-furious, half-miserable expression on the chieftain's face, Luke Berkley's smirk grew wider.

"I certainly hope Maddie will cooperate," he went on. "I'd simply hate to kill you before the resurrection is completed. I'll tell you what, Med-jai. If Madeline here keeps up her end of the bargain and leads us exactly where we need to go, then I'll let you keep your life. I'll even give you a front row seat to the sacrificial ceremony. I want to see the look on your face when your worst nightmare comes to life – when you realize that the end has come, and you've failed your people. _Then_ I'll let the pharaoh dispose of you as she wishes."

He turned away from them all. "Now, come," Berkley ordered, marching on down the hall. "I'd hate to miss that train."

* * *

It wasn't too much later when Madeline and Ardeth boarded the train that Berkley had been so very anxious to catch. They were escorted to one of the compartments and ushered inside.

Madeline had expected to be shoved into the compartment and then trapped inside, with a few of Berkley's masked henchmen to guard the door. After all, that's the way everything had gone down on the last train ride. But to her surprise, once the two of them had been shown into their compartment, Luke Berkley appeared in the doorway, wearing a snide sneer.

"What the hell do you want?" Madeline asked rudely.

His sneer only grew larger. "I'm issuing you a warning," he announced. "I don't want any funny business, you see. I want you to behave yourselves. As amusing as the scene at the motel was, it wasted valuable time. If the two of you continue making this journey difficult for me, I'll see to it that your discomfort only gets ten times worse from here out. We're talking beatings, incapacitating injuries, sedation… the works."

Neither Madeline nor Ardeth had a reply for that. The two of them only sat there in the compartment, glowering at their captor. "Enjoy the ride," Berkley smirked. He turned to leave.

"Why did you pick me?" Madeline asked suddenly.

Berkley stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "Come again?"

"Why did you pick me?" she repeated. She couldn't help it; she was genuinely curious. In fact, she'd been wondering why he'd picked her ever since that damn necklace had wound up around her neck. "What was so special about me? Why couldn't Lavernia have done it? She actually _wanted_ to be a sacrifice."

"Yes," he agreed. "It was such a shame she didn't meet the requirements."

"What were the requirements?" Madeline pressed him. "Why did I meet them and Lavernia didn't?"

Berkley stared at her for a moment as though he were trying to read her mind. "You really don't know do you?" he said finally, sounding as though the light bulb of understanding had gone on over his head.

"Of course I don't know," she snapped impatiently. "If I knew, why would I bother to ask you?"

He smirked and said nothing. "Well?" she asked. "Why did you pick me?"

"Well, I can't tell you that," he returned. "Do you think I'm stupid? I know better than to give you information you can use against me. Oh, no, Maddie my dear, I believe it's best if you were kept in the dark."

Berkley turned to leave, but then stopped suddenly, turning around to catch her eye again. "Of course, you weren't the only girl in the world who met the requirements," he added. "I suppose I can tell you why I picked you out of all the eligible women in the world. Simply put: you're strong, Madeline. I've never met another woman in my entire life that was as strong as you are physically. And perhaps you don't think so, but you have a certain strength of character to you as well. Not quite as noticeable as your physical strength, but still…"

He trailed off, studied her a moment, and then smirked again. "I knew I'd need a strong woman to handle the trials the necklace would put you through. I knew I'd need a woman who was capable of surviving the phases and the visions and the migraines… and even the illnesses that accompanied your resistance. It seems I've chosen wisely, Maddie. You are, after all, still here and still quite alive."

Having said his piece, Berkley turned away from her again and walked out of the compartment. The door slid shut behind him. His footsteps could be heard traveling down the corridor, away from the compartment, and Madeline saw the shadows of two guards appear outside the frosted glass door.

She glanced at Ardeth. "Well, I guess that answers that," she said ruefully. "You know… sort of."

"He is not wrong, you know," Ardeth murmured. "You _are_ strong."

Madeline shrugged. "Yeah. Sure."

"You are."

"That's what they tell me."

"That's how I know you'll make it through this."

She looked up at him, surprised by the statement. Ardeth seemed uncomfortable suddenly, and wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Thanks," she whispered.

Silence fell over the compartment. Madeline leaned back against her seat, her eyelids heavy. She was almost asleep when Ardeth's voice jerked her back awake.

"You have to tell me what you saw in your vision," he said in a low voice.

She frowned at him. "What?"

"You have to tell me what you saw. I have to know where to go when we escape. In case you are… unable to tell me at the time."

"You mean, in case I'm so sick that I'm nearly dead."

Ardeth didn't seem to like her phrasing. "Something like that," he replied, sounding mildly irritated.

"Ardeth, this is ridiculous," Madeline said. "I'm not telling you. I'm not letting you go through with this insane…"

"Do not even start," he snapped. "We agreed not to talk like this. We agreed you would not say it would be better if you were dead. I do not want to hear your self-condemning speeches, Madeline. You may have given up, but I have not. Tell me where to go. And don't you dare lie to me."

She stared at him. He stared back, waiting impatiently for her answer. She wanted to refuse answering. She wanted to lie through her teeth. But what she wanted to do and what she actually did were two very different things.

Sighing heavily, Madeline made her decision. She would tell Ardeth the truth – _this_ time. If they escaped and Jonathan still hadn't discovered how to stop the resurrection, then that would be it. After that, she would go no further.

"We need to go back to Meydum," she said quietly. "Near the pyramid is a nobleman's mastaba. Nitocris killed herself inside of the mastaba, in one of the chambers. She… she burned to death in there."

Ardeth studied her for a moment. Then, apparently satisfied, he leaned back in his seat, relaxing. "Thank you."

She nodded.

The two of them lapsed into silence again. Soon, feeling tired and sick, Madeline found herself dozing off again. This time, she was not interrupted. Her eyes closed, and she fell asleep.

* * *

This time, she was awoken by a train whistle.

Blinking sleepily, Madeline sat up straight, lifting her head off of Ardeth's shoulder. She wondered mildly how her head had wound up on Ardeth in the first place.

"We have stopped," Ardeth informed her.

She nodded, and immediately regretted it. Her head was killing her. She felt about ten times worse than she had before her nap.

The compartment door slid open and Charles Berkley stepped in. He smirked nastily at the two of them as the door closed behind him. "The train's just making a routine stop," he announced. "I'm making sure you two don't mess things up for us."

"What, you mean like escape?" Madeline practically croaked. "Gee, I didn't even think of that. Great idea, though, thanks."

Charles wasn't amused. "You even try it, and I'll shoot your pal. I don't care if the whole train hears it, I'll shoot him. He'll be dead before he hits the ground."

Ardeth glanced at Madeline out of the corner of his eye. She frowned at him as he widened his eyes slightly. It looked as though he was trying to tell her something. What the hell did he want?

"You can kill both of us," Ardeth announced. "You will still fail. She will kill you once she is resurrected, without a second thought."

Charles stepped towards Ardeth threateningly. "You know, I hope the pharaoh lets _me_ kill you," he replied, glowering at the Med-jai. "I really think that would be the greatest gift the pharaoh could give me."

"She won't let you kill anyone," Ardeth retorted. "You will die just like the rest of us."

He snorted. "Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough."

Odd, Madeline thought to herself. Ardeth was being awfully chatty.

"Has it ever occurred to you and your siblings that perhaps Nitocris does not wish to be resurrected?" Ardeth asked. "After all, it was not as if she was murdered or executed. The pharaoh killed herself."

"To escape punishment!" Charles hissed.

"Ah, yes, to escape punishment," Ardeth returned darkly. "A rather cowardly thing to do for a queen so revered."

Madeline looked at Ardeth like he was crazy. What the hell was he doing, trying to get himself killed? He was purposely antagonizing Charles Berkley – the least stable person out of the whole Berkley family! Was he crazy? Madeline was all for poking the bear – she just wished Ardeth would use a longer stick.

Charles Berkley took a threatening step forward, a very ugly expression on his face. "I don't care what my orders are concerning you," he half-snarled. "You insult my queen again, and you'll wish you'd never opened your mouth."

Ardeth stood up, not even remotely intimidated. It was sort of funny, actually. With both men standing, just inches apart, it became obvious that Ardeth was nearly half a foot taller than the Englishman and much more muscular. Charles Berkley almost looked like he regretted his threat… but then his hand found the hilt of the long knife tucked into his belt, and his ego returned.

He didn't pull the knife, just rested his hand on it. But that seemed to be enough. The look on Charles' face became smug. "Please, Med-jai. I beg of you. Please just give me a bloody reason."

Ardeth glowered down the younger Berkley. "You are a fool," he said in a low, cold voice. "You call her your queen though she is nothing but a long dead woman who killed several people in anger and then weakly killed herself in cowardice."

The knife came out. Charles had snapped. There was a flash of light as the sun streaming in through the train window reflected off the sharp blade whizzing through the air towards Ardeth's chest. The Med-jai chieftain dodged the knife and caught Charles' wrist in his hand. The pained expression on Charles' face captured exactly how tight Ardeth's grip was. The two struggled briefly over the weapon until Ardeth knocked the man's legs out from under him with a swift kick to the back of the knees. Berkley fell, but the knife did not fall with him. Ardeth wrenched the blade from the other man's hand and stabbed him through the throat.

Unable to do anything more than squeak and gurgle, Berkley fell into a heap on the floor and twitched violently, blood spilling rapidly from the deep hole in his neck. Soon, the twitching ceased and he lay still, his eyes wide open in a dull, blank stare.

Charles Berkley was dead.

Madeline gawked at Ardeth. The Med-jai chieftain tucked the knife into his sash and walked swiftly to the compartment door. He pressed his ear against the foggy glass.

"What are you doing?" she rasped.

He held up a hand to silence her. After a moment of listening at the door, he crossed the room and slid the compartment window open. He poked his head out, looked both ways, and then ducked back inside.

Ardeth looked at Madeline. There was an odd glint in his eyes. Madeline shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no," she announced. "You have got to be kidding me."

"We don't have time to argue," Ardeth replied.

"Do you really expect me to squeeze through that damn window? I'm not exactly Lavernia Berkley, Ardeth! And neither are you, now that I mention it."

"We will fit. I will make sure of it."

"You will make sure of it? Oh, that's very reassuring."

"Hurry up!"

She bit her lip and glanced at the body. "We'll need money."

Ardeth stared at her. The idea of taking Charles Berkley's money didn't seem to sit well with him, and that didn't surprise Madeline in the least. There was nothing honorable in taking cash off a dead man. But they didn't have a choice. Even Ardeth had to see that.

Apparently, he did. He crossed back to the body and took Charles' purse, tucking it inside his sash. There was a regretful look on his face.

Sighing heavily, Madeline struggled to her feet. It was time to go – but she wasn't sure if she could. Her legs were trembling, and the moment she put her full weight on them, they gave out. She collapsed to the floor.

Ardeth was instantly beside her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. He grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back on her feet. Madeline grimaced. Her whole body felt sore and weak. Ardeth lifted her into his arms and hastened to the open window. After several seconds of stumbling and fumbling about, Ardeth managed to set her up on the narrow sill, and Madeline squeezed herself through the tiny opening. She hit the ground hard on the other side of the window, and couldn't get back up again.

The train station lay on the other side of the train. Madeline found herself near the reeds of the Nile riverbank, a development much to her and Ardeth's advantage. There was no one on this side of the train to witness their jailbreak.

Ardeth hopped down from the window and landed beside her. He quickly rose up on his knees and turned concerned eyes on her. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. The nod was a lie. She wasn't all right. Madeline couldn't remember the last time she _had _been all right. She was tired and nauseous and light-headed. Her head hurt and her muscles ached, and she was too weak to do much more than sit up.

Ardeth looked around furtively, glancing worriedly up at the windows in the train cars. Apparently seeing nothing threatening, he relaxed very slightly and grasped her wrist. "Come," he ordered. "We must hide in the weeds."

She nodded her agreement, too sick to argue. Not that she would have argued with him in a perfect state of health, either. At the moment, she felt lost. Ardeth was the orchestrator of this grand escape plan, and she was willing to follow along blindly until they had played the whole thing out.

They crawled away from the train tracks and secreted themselves in the long reeds by the water. Madeline dimly hoped there were no snakes hiding in the weeds with them. Ardeth stared impatiently at the train, his fingers subconsciously tapping the stolen knife in his sash. Madeline let her mind wander, not focusing on the train. She couldn't concentrate on anything in this condition. Her eyelids started to feel heavier and heavier.

A loud, long piercing train whistle jolted her awake. Beside her, Ardeth breathed a sigh of relief. The train began to move, rolling slowly down the tracks. Through heavy, squinted eyes, Madeline watched as the train began to leave them behind.

She turned to Ardeth, who was still watching the departing train. They appeared to have made it away safely, but Ardeth didn't look like he trusted their good luck.

Madeline felt like curling up in the reeds and going to sleep. The soft, damp ground was a lot more comfortable than she had thought it would be. Her head was still aching, her stomach was still turning, and she could feel her limbs getting weaker.

Beside her, Ardeth took in his breath. "Someone is looking out of the train."

"So?"

He turned to her, worry in his eyes. "I hope they are not looking for us."

An unsettling thought, but also a rather paranoid one. Madeline wasn't sure if his concern was legitimate or not. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she cared. All she wanted was to go to sleep.

The train was getting smaller as it traveled farther away. Madeline squinted at it as it headed off into the distance.

Then people began jumping out of the cars, hitting the ground and rolling. Several of the escaping train passengers called out to one another in frantic Arabic.

"We've been found out," Ardeth said beside her. There was no panic in his voice – only heavy resignation.

"Now what?" Madeline whispered.

"We run," Ardeth replied.

His tone was anything but comforting. Ardeth placed his hand on her back, pressing her closer to the earth. "Head for the water," he murmured.

She nodded her agreement, sinking onto her stomach. With more effort than the move should have required, Madeline began the long, painful crawl to the river. Ardeth followed close behind her.

Her breathing was coming faster and shallower. This was exactly why she had told Ardeth to escape without her, Madeline thought bitterly to herself. Her illness was only getting worse. She was slowing Ardeth down. If they caught, it would be on her head.

They had reached the riverbank. Ardeth poked his head up cautiously in the reeds, watching the men who had been sent to search for them. They were still pretty far away. The train had gotten off to a pretty good start before Berkley's men had discovered hers and Ardeth's escape.

Ardeth crawled cautiously into the river, watching the men on shore the entire time. They didn't seem to notice him. Taking a deep breath, Madeline watched as he steeled himself for the next move. He looked nervous – anxious, almost. It was strange to see him so agitated. Ardeth was usually cool and collected in the face of certain death.

He was lying in the water, staying as low as he could. He reached for her, his hands closing around her waist and dragging her into the river as quietly and gently as possible. The two of them swam quickly and noiselessly to the other side of the river.

As they clambered onto the opposite bank, trying to crawl back into the reeds as quickly as possible, they heard a loud shout from the other side of the river.

Both Madeline and Ardeth looked up at the yell and found Berkley's men running towards the river, hollering at one another in Arabic. They had been seen.

Ardeth was on his feet in an instant and immediately dragged her onto hers. Madeline fell forward into his chest. Her legs were too shaky to stand on, and she felt incredibly dizzy. The necklace was winning. She was getting sicker, and at the worst possible time.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her through the weeds, running for an abandoned shack near the reeds. Panting heavily as they ran, Madeline tried to keep up with him and stay on her feet. It didn't happen. Halfway to the hut, she collapsed into the tall grasses.

Ardeth barely broke his stride. He turned around, lifting her off the ground and into his arms, and took off running again. Moments later, they were inside the hut.

He sat her down on the floor and Madeline slumped against the wall. Ardeth poked his head through the window. "We are in serious trouble," he announced.

"Tell me something I don't know," she fairly moaned in reply.

He turned to her, frowning in concern. She met his eyes. "You are getting sicker," he murmured quietly.

Madeline shrugged, and followed up the shrug with a wince. "Uh-huh," she said shakily.

Ardeth gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "We will get out of this," he announced.

"When the hell did you get so optimistic, anyway?" she asked hoarsely. "I seem to remember a much more negative Ardeth Bay at Hamunaptra."

He didn't reply. All he did was give her shoulder another squeeze and then leap to his feet. Charles Berkley's knife was yanked from his sash, and Ardeth took up waiting just inside the door.

One of Berkley's masked men raced inside. He ran directly into Ardeth's knife and toppled to the floor, gasping with pain. Blood blossomed on the floor around him. Madeline reached out and grabbed one of his guns before dragging herself as far from the door as she could manage.

Another man raced inside and met a fate very similar to the first man. Ardeth grabbed this man's gun and then took a step back from the door.

That's when the rest of the men charged the hut. Both Madeline and Ardeth opened fire as their enemies swarmed down on them. Several men fell – more kept running. Soon, Madeline was out of bullets. She assumed Ardeth was in a similar situation, because she could no longer hear his gunshots. All she heard was grunting and yelling as Ardeth began fighting back with his fists and his knife.

Three men descended on her. Madeline brought her bullet-less gun down on one of their heads, knocking him out stone cold. The other two were much less inept. One kicked the gun from her hand. The other grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground, slamming her violently into the wall.

She choked as he strangled her. "Easy," the other man ordered. "We can't kill her, remember?"

The other man nodded, but didn't loosen his grip. "I won't," he replied.

Suddenly, the man pinning her to the wall froze. His eyes widened, and then he coughed. Madeline frowned at him as he slowly let go of her neck. She slid to the floor and landed in a heap. Her attacker fell to his knees, and then slumped to the side.

Ardeth pulled his knife out of the dead man's back. The other man let out a loud cry and rushed the Med-jai chieftain. There was a brief struggle as the two men exchanged blows, and then Ardeth stabbed his opponent in the gut.

He fell, choking on his own blood. Ardeth tucked his sword back in his sash and raced to her side. Madeline blinked stupidly, looking around the hut. Not one of the men was still standing.

"Are you all right?" Ardeth demanded.

She nodded.

He tried to pull her to feet. Madeline fell forward into his chest. Ardeth wrapped his arms tightly around her. She tried desperately to stay conscious. Her previous illness coupled with the attempt to strangle her had left her light-headed and weak.

"Come," he murmured in her ear. "We have to go. More of them are coming."

Madeline coughed and nodded, trying to stand up. Ardeth ignored her attempts and swept her off the ground. There was another door, facing away from the river, and he made a run for it.

It was hopeless. More of Berkley's men burst in through the back as the two of them ran out the other door and onto the dilapidated front porch. One man rushed the two of them, tackling Ardeth to the ground. Madeline flew from his arms and tumbled down the porch steps, landing in a heap at the bottom. She groaned in pain, coughing uncontrollably.

"Madeline, get out of here!" Ardeth shouted at her, fighting off their attackers.

Madeline tried to stand, but soon found she couldn't even sit up. She dragged herself from the fight, blinking rapidly. Her vision was blurring and she couldn't see in front of her. She managed to get around the corner of the shack before collapsing in the dirt. Everything was spinning, and she felt disconnected from her surroundings. That couldn't be a good sign, she thought vaguely. She seriously hoped she wasn't about to pass out.

Gunshots broke out from around the corner of the house. Horrified, Madeline tried to haul herself to her feet. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder and tried to shrug it off. Whoever owned the hand tried to lift her from the ground, but she fought, falling into the dirt again and dragging herself away from the stranger. A panicked glance over her shoulder proved it was a middle-aged man. She couldn't see him very well, but he looked like an Egyptian, and he was dressed like a peasant. "Miss," he said in rapid Arabic. She had to concentrate intently to understand him. "Miss, I will not hurt you. Let me help."

Madeline remained unconvinced and continued trying to get away. If this guy thought she was going to trust him, he was insane. "Miss, you must drink," he said, trying to force the contents of his canteen down her throat. She kicked back away from him, wincing with agony. The man attempted again to give her a drink, but she only tried to get to her feet, cried out in pain, and fell into a heap, her head reeling.

"Madeline!" someone called out. She looked up, seeing Ardeth race around the corner of the house and kneel at her side. He lifted her from the ground and hugged her tightly to his chest. Her fist curled weakly into his robes. Madeline began to calm down. Ardeth was alive, and he was here, with her. She would be safe.

Ardeth turned to the peasant man. "Who are you?" he demanded in Arabic ,rather harshly.

The peasant man looked shocked. "Chieftain Bay!"

Madeline squinted up at the peasant man. For the first time, she saw the markings on his face.

Ardeth saw them too. "I am a traveler from the east, seeking that which is lost," he said quietly.

"I am a traveler from the west, it is I that you seek," the man replied without hesitation.

Ardeth grasped the man's hand, and the peasant shook it. "I knew you were Ardeth Bay," the man said. "I recognized you immediately, Chieftain."

Ardeth smiled softly. "You are one of Hazim's men, are you not?"

"Yes," he replied. "My name is Rashid. Here, the lady needs water."

Ardeth took the canteen from the man's hand, smiling gratefully. "Thank you." He turned to Madeline, lifting her up higher against him. "Madeline, drink this," he whispered in English.

Madeline nodded, sipping gratefully from the canteen Ardeth pressed to her lips. "If you do not mind me prying, Chieftain," Rashid murmured respectfully, speaking in Arabic. "What is happening? Who are those men? And… who is this young woman?"

Ardeth sighed. Madeline coughed, and Ardeth absentmindedly stroked her hair. She could hear their conversation and feel Ardeth's fingers, but she could no longer see straight. Swallowing hard, she buried her face in Ardeth's chest, trying not to pass out.

"Her name is Madeline O'Connell," she heard Ardeth say. "And those men were… they were not good men. I am afraid we are in some trouble."

"How can I serve you, Chieftain?" Rashid asked solemnly.

"We must get to Meydum as quickly as possible," Ardeth replied. "Would it be possible to take us there? I will see you greatly rewarded."

"It is my honor and my duty," the man returned. "Come, my cart is nearby."

Ardeth gathered Madeline into his arms and lifted her off the ground, getting to his feet. She curled into him, trying to shut out the painfully bright sun.

"What is wrong with her?" she heard Rashid ask.

"She is very ill," Ardeth replied.

Rashid nodded. They had reached the cart. "It would be best for you two to ride in back," he announced.

"Yes, thank you."

Madeline's queasy stomach turned as Ardeth climbed into the back of the cart and accidently jostled her quite a bit. Finally he laid her on the bottom of the cart, and pulled the cloth in the back closed so they were in darkness. Her head was spinning worse, and she knew she was on the verge of passing out.

She heard Ardeth cross the cart and sit by her side. His fingers traveled through her hair. "Are you all right, Madeline?" he asked, switching back to English.

She coughed, nodding into his hand. "Go to sleep," he murmured.

His command was unnecessary. Madeline was already falling asleep. Ardeth continued to stroke her hair. The feeling was soothing. Soon, her eyes closed, and she was fast asleep.

* * *


	24. The Night in Meydum

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Jac Danvers, Lindsay, Nelle07, The-Lady-Isis, idkaname, Padme4000, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, bones881, Ravenclaw Samurai, pirate hero, zentry, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, bunnychica9, Ds-, YourLovelyPunkGirl101, and IllinoisRose for the reviews!

READ ME: Ok, kiddies, here's the deal. This gets graphic. Not as graphic as it could have been, but still. It's not what I'd call PG. So I am warning you… if you are of a sensitive and impressionable nature, skip over the graphicness. Okey-dokey? I'm serious. Don't say I didn't warn you, because I clearly did. Enjoy.

* * *

Chapter 24: The Night in Meydum

Madeline slowly blinked awake, her head aching and her eyes burning. The floor beneath her consisted of hard wooden planks, and the room was lit dimly by sunlight streaming in through a pair of dirty curtains.

She sat up, looking around the room. It was littered with feed sacks and crates. An old worn blanket had been wrapped around her, and a sack had been placed under her head. Madeline suddenly realized she wasn't in a room at all – she was in the back of a horse-drawn cart.

How long ago had she and Ardeth escaped that train? It was unsettling to discover she had no way of telling how much time had passed. She remembered meeting up with a Med-jai warrior, Rashid. He had promised to take her and Ardeth to Meydum. Had he kept his promise? Was that where they were right now?

It seemed likely. The cart wasn't moving, and she was feeling much better than she had during their escape. The nausea was gone, the headache had lessened, and the strength was returning to her limbs. Were they in Meydum?

She struggled to remember the cart ride. A few blurry scenes ran through her head as she recalled waking up for minutes at a time as someone forced water down her throat. She remembered the chilled air once night had fallen, the heavy weight of the blanket that had been thrown over her... but it was all jumbled together, like a strange, disjointed, and drunken dream.

Madeline got slowly to her feet and was relieved to discover her dizziness had passed. She made her way to the curtains in the back and pulled them open.

The sun was far too bright. She squinted painfully against the rays beating down on her face. Glancing around, she found Ardeth standing directly beside the cart, conversing with Rashid in Arabic.

Ardeth looked up immediately as the cloth was drawn back and stared at her in surprise. "Madeline," he murmured. "You are awake."

"Am I?" she returned drolly, her voice sounding slow and lazy.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

She nodded. "Oh, yeah. Tons. Lot less close to death. It's great."

He didn't seem amused.

Rashid said something in Arabic that Madeline didn't quite catch. Ardeth nodded his agreement, and voiced his gratitude.

"We cannot repay you enough," he announced. "You have done both me and my friend a great service, not to mention your people."

"This has to do with the necklace, does it not?"

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, I am afraid it does. We thank you again. You will be greatly rewarded, I promise you."

Rashid bowed low. "It was my duty, Chieftain. I am only glad to have served you."

The two men exchanged some crazy Med-jai good-bye hand gesture. Rashid nodded gravely to Madeline, and then headed for the front of his cart. Ardeth reached up and grasped her around the waist, lowering her to the street below.

Rashid called to his horses. Soon, the cart was hurrying away, dust clouds billowing in its wake.

Madeline raised an eyebrow at Ardeth. "So… he's just leaving us?"

Ardeth nodded. "On my orders. He will return to his people and issue a warning. All the Med-jai must be prepared for Berkley's next move. He will not take our escape well, I assure you."

She snorted. "That's an understatement."

Ardeth glanced up at the sky. "It is very late in the afternoon," he announced. "I do not like the idea of heading out to the burial grounds at this time. We would not want to be caught unawares in the dark. Besides, we should attempt to contact Jonathan and Nasira before we do anything."

Madeline nodded her understanding. "All right, then… what are we going to do?"

"I will get us rooms for the night," Ardeth replied. "And then I will ask around town, to see if Jonathan and Nasira are still here."

"That's a long shot," Madeline said. "We've been missing for days. I seriously doubt they're just going to sit around and twiddle their thumbs."

"True," he returned. "Still, there's always the chance. I want you to stay in the room and rest."

Madeline snorted again. "Yeah, right."

"I am perfectly serious. You have been extremely ill. I do not want to risk your newly recovered health."

"That's really sweet, but in case you haven't noticed, we're already in Meydum. I'm already feeling much better. I'd say I'm out of the woods."

"We cannot know that. True, we are in the village, but we have not gone to the mastaba yet. If we delay, there is no telling what the necklace may decide to do to you. Please, just agree to rest. For once, do not argue."

Madeline blinked and then harrumphed angrily. "I'll have you know that I have not argued plenty of times!"

"Have you? And when were these times? I do not recall a single one."

"No one likes a smart ass."

"We can argue once we have a place to sleep."

Madeline sighed heavily. "Fine."

Ardeth turned and headed for a nearby building. Madeline gave it a once over and concluded it was an inn. The two of them walked swiftly to the front door and stepped inside.

It took a few minutes for Ardeth to get them a room, but eventually Madeline found herself following the Med-jai chieftain upstairs and down a long hall. Ardeth unlocked one of the many doors and the two of them stepped inside the motel room.

Compared to the rooms Madeline had become accustomed to staying in, this particular room turned out to be pretty nice. It was spacious and airy, and there was a pair of sliding doors that led out onto a balcony. She was majorly impressed.

Once again, the room came equipped with only one bed. Madeline didn't feel as annoyed about this as she had in the past. She still felt rather awkward and nervous about it all, but was able to calm herself. After all, she had been sharing a bed with Ardeth for the past couple of nights. His presence had become almost reassuring, in a way.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Madeline regretted it. It made no sense to think this way. Ardeth was a friend, and only a friend. No matter what she might have said to him, or what he might have said to her, or what might have happened between the two of them, they were still only friends. They could never be anything more. It wasn't practical. It was, in fact, a recipe for disaster. Madeline was sure Ardeth agreed.

She sighed and took a seat on the bed. It turned out that the mattress was much more comfortable than the bottom of a cart. Her eyes traveled longingly over to the pillow. She was willing to bet that the pillow was also much more comfortable than a feed sack.

Actually, she was very tired. Not to mention sore. Sleeping on a hard wooden floor in a bouncing cart with a smelly sack under her head hadn't exactly been a comfort. Suddenly, she was torn. Stay here and rest in the big comfy bed… or retain her dignity and insist on accompanying Ardeth on his search for Jonathan and Nasira.

"I will leave you now," Ardeth announced. "Rest while I am gone."

"Didn't I tell you I was coming too?"

Ardeth gave her a very irritated look.

Madeline sighed. "All right. You win. I'll stay. I don't really want to spend time with you anyway. You're a big pain in my ass."

He inclined his head respectfully. The very faintest of smiles appeared on his lips. "Thank you."

She grunted, crossing her arms in front of her like a petulant child. Ardeth's faint smile grew slightly. Then he turned and walked out the door, shutting it ever so gently behind him.

Madeline looked at the mattress. All her annoyance fled. She lay down on the soft bed, buried her face in the fluffy pillow, and went right to sleep.

* * *

The sun had set by the time Madeline opened her eyes. She had been startled awake by Ardeth's return. He had flung open the door rather violently, and then slammed it closed just as hard. She frowned at him. His mood was decidedly different than it had been when he'd left the motel.

She guessed that meant he hadn't found his little sister or her best friend.

Ardeth practically threw a brown paper sack at her. "Here," he said shortly. "I bought you dinner."

"Thanks," Madeline replied, frowning at him.

He ignored her and stalked out the sliding doors. They slammed shut behind him. Madeline saw him standing on the balcony, his back ramrod straight and his shoulders tense, glaring down at the village below.

She rolled her eyes. He was upset, she got that – she was upset herself. A part of her wondered if she ought to go out there and comfort him. The rest of her decided not to. After all, she was starving. He could wait until her stomach was full.

Madeline tore open the bag and fished out the contents. Just a weird looking sandwich like thing and some fruit. She scarfed it down hungrily, simply glad for the sustenance. Her stomach had been empty for days.

When she had finished, she crumpled up the bag and tossed it towards the garbage bin. It missed and hit the floor. Madeline decided she didn't care enough to pick it up. She glanced over at the balcony. Ardeth was still standing in the exact same position, glowering into the night. She rolled her eyes again. Honestly, what was his problem?

She sighed and got to her feet. Determined, she marched over to the sliding doors and stepped out onto the balcony.

He knew she was there, Madeline was sure of it. Despite that, he ignored her presence and continued starting silently out at the village.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

His shoulders relaxed very slightly. "Nothing," he replied, not turning around.

For the third time in the past fifteen minutes, Madeline rolled her eyes. "Really? Cause you're definitely acting like something's wrong."

"I am fine."

"You didn't find Jonathan or Nasira, did you?"

The tension reappeared in his shoulders. "No. I did not."

"That's ok. Maybe they went back to Cairo."

He made an incoherent noise.

"Seriously, it's not that big of a deal."

"I never said it was."

His tone was testy. Defensive. Annoyed. Madeline chewed on her lip. "You sound cranky," she said finally. "Maybe someone who's not me needs a little nap themselves."

He didn't bother to respond. "Really," she pressed on. "You've got to be tired. You didn't get much rest, and you needed it. Had to be tiring – escaping, carting my ass around, trying to take care of me… I _really _don't envy you."

"I'm fine."

There was a long silence. "Yeah," Madeline murmured finally. "I don't believe that."

No answer from Ardeth.

She sighed very loudly in exasperation. "Seriously, what's wrong with you? Can you please just relax? Or lie down? Or – hell, have you even eaten yet?"

"I ate."

"When?"

"I need time alone with my thoughts. Please give that to me."

"I think you've had enough time alone with your thoughts. Like all afternoon. What you need is some pushy young woman bothering the crap out of you until you stop beating yourself up for something completely beyond your control."

Ardeth sighed, irritated.

"Seriously, Ardeth. You did good. You got us out of there, you fought off all those guys…"

"I had help."

"Really? From who, your invisible friend?"

"You shot quite a few of our attackers. And Rashid was the one who got us back to Meydum."

"Well, fine. Then you had help. Everyone needs help sometimes. You still did better than anyone else did, or probably even could have done. Will you please stop brooding? It freaks me out."

"I am not brooding."

"Really? Then what are you doing?"

"I am thinking."

"Thinking, brooding… same difference. Cut it out."

Ardeth finally turned around and looked at her. Well, actually he turned around and glared at her. Madeline crossed her arms in front of her and glared back.

Ardeth sighed and looked at the ground. "Maybe I am… brooding, as you put it."

She nodded. "Yeah. Maybe."

He leaned against the balcony rail. "I am worried about making contact with Jonathan. He has all the notes, the research, the books…"

"We can call his apartment in Cairo," Madeline said reassuringly. "Maybe he and Nasira went back there."

He nodded. "Maybe."

There was a long silence. "I am just afraid that we won't find the answers we need in time," Ardeth said quietly.

Madeline made a face. "You're always worried about that."

"And you are not? It is imperative that we reconnect with Jonathan. He is the only one with the means to solve the mystery. He is the only one who can figure out how to save you. Without him, without those answers… you die."

She shrugged. "Yeah. I know. Remember?"

He sighed and looked to the floor. "You have every right to be afraid. And yet, there was only one instance where you showed it. It's as if you have accepted your fate."

"Well, maybe I have. I'll tell you one thing – if we don't find those answers, I'd rather die saving the world than ending it."

Ardeth looked up at her suspiciously. Madeline rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking you to do anything. That was selfish. And I'm… well… maybe I'm not as weak as I thought. Maybe there's some truth to me being… strong or whatever. If it comes to that, consider it my burden – not yours."

He stared at her, incredulous and mildly angry. She shrugged again and leaned against the wall. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't talk like that. There's still hope. And none of your friends want to think about you dying, so stop bringing it up. I'll try harder."

"It is my duty to kill you if that is the only way to stop the Berkleys. You do know that," Ardeth announced.

"Yeah. I kind of suspected."

He sighed heavily. "I've never killed a friend."

"Me neither."

There was a long silence. Madeline started chewing her lip again. "You know, I'll understand," she said hesitantly. This was an awkward conversation to be having, and she wasn't entirely sure how to go about having it. Exactly what were the rules of etiquette in a situation like this one? "I… I'd even prefer it to… to… the alternative. I would… I would consider it – consider _you_ – a better friend."

Instead of making Ardeth feel better, her words appeared to do the opposite. He sighed heavily again, almost cringing. His eyes would not look up from the floor. "And that is the problem," he announced. "I don't think I can do it."

She wasn't sure what to say. It turned out that she didn't need to say anything. Ardeth continued on without her.

"I am selfish. I cannot let you die, even if I know I should. Almost any other person, and I would allow this, but not... not... I have lived a life without you before, and yet I cannot believe that I ever did. If you die, I do not know what I will do."

Madeline stared at him like he had grown another head. "Um… hey, I wouldn't want to have to kill you either."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. The fate of this world is supposed to be the most important thing to me, and yet it is not. I have failed in my duties as a Med-jai. I have put you first. I have put myself first. It is my own selfish feelings that make me worry more for you than my duty. And yet, I cannot stop myself. You may not understand why I care for you so much, but if you could only see what I do…. You are special, Madeline. I will not lose you. I will find a way to save the world, and not lose you."

"Ok, you're really freaking me out," Madeline replied. "What are you doing? What are you talking about?"

"It is wrong to feel this way. I don't want to hurt you, but… my people would not see you as… as… they would need time to get to know you before they could accept you the way I have. I'm afraid they will not take that time. Which is why, even if the necklace was no longer an issue, it would still be wrong to… it would still be unfortunate to… no. It would be… challenging to have these feelings, to permit myself to admit these feelings…"

"I'm starting to fear we're not talking about friendship."

"Were we ever?" he half-laughed, sounding bitter. "I… I… I should not tell you this."

"Then don't."

"But I think… I think I am… in love with you."

Madeline stared at him, shocked. They had grown closer, this was true… and she was all too aware of her own crazy, school-girl feelings, but… she had never expected Ardeth's feelings to be so strong, or for him to admit them.

He stared at her, waiting for some kind of response. She couldn't think of one. Her brain wasn't working. Her mouth wasn't working. What… how… but…

There was a long silence. Then….

"Just great!" she practically shouted, throwing her arms up in frustration. "Let's everyone fall in love with Madeline when she's _dying_!"

With that, she turned away from him and stormed back inside.

Her mind was whirling, and none of her thoughts made sense. Her legs were moving, but she had no idea where they thought they were going. She started to pace.

A moment later, Ardeth stepped inside the motel room, sliding the door shut behind him. "Madeline…"

"You can't be in love with me," she snapped, cutting him off.

He blinked. "Why not?"

"Why not? Well… for all the reasons you just said! You can't love me, because… well, first of all, I might die! Which means…. You know, you have terrible timing!"

The words must have struck him as true, because Ardeth turned his eyes to the carpet underneath him.

"And… and… well, you said it yourself! You're a Med-jai! Ok? The chieftain, actually! You can't be chasing after… after… stupid, silly white girls with… possible drinking problems! You… you… you have a duty, mister!"

"I am well aware of my duty!" he snapped.

"And I take away from that duty! I… your people would not like me. Not even a little."

"I know."

Well, that hurt, even it was true – and had originally been said by her. "You know? What kind of thing is that to say?"

"Madeline, I only meant…"

"Never mind what you meant! I know what you meant! Look, Ardeth. I… I am not Med-jai material. I think we can all agree with that."

He shook his head. "Maybe you don't appear to be Med-jai material, but… I think you are."

She groaned. "Ok, fine! You think I am! You know who won't? Yasir, for one! He hates me!"

"He doesn't _hate_ you…"

"Well, he certainly acts like it! And he won't be the only one. The rest of your people…"

"I know! I know, all right! I do not appreciate being scolded!"

"I'm not scolding you! I'm… I'm… dissuading you! Wow, that was a big word."

He rolled his eyes. Madeline immediately started in on him again.

"And, you know, all that aside… look, I care about you. You're my friend, you're… you're… maybe more than that… look, this can't happen. I'm not good enough for you. I'm not good enough for your people. I'm not… I can't be…"

"I am sorry I said anything."

There was a long silence. Ardeth suddenly took his eyes off the floor and met hers almost defiantly. "But you are wrong. You are more than good enough for me – and for my people, whether they see it at first or not. You are strong, brave… you're a warrior. And… you are better than I, whether you know it or not. You resolve to take my duty into your own hands. I fear, should the last resort be our only resort, that… that I will be unable to do what I must. But you? I know you will do it for me. And that is why you're a warrior, Madeline. You are far better than you give yourself credit for."

Madeline hadn't expected that. She gawked silently at him for a little while. Ardeth turned from her and made to step back out onto the balcony.

"Ardeth, wait," she stopped him.

He turned back to her.

"I… I… as completely irresponsible as I am being right now, I still feel I should… well, I _am_ irresponsible, I think we all know that. Big deal, I'm being irresponsible. What else is new?" She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Where was I?"

It was Ardeth's turn to stare at _her_ like _she_ was the one growing another head. Madeline took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve. "I… I _know_ that I'm in love with you."

His eyes widened.

"Don't look at me like that, it makes me… embarrassed." She sighed again. "I… I love you, Ardeth. I do. I have."

He stared at her, giving her a careful evaluation. She started to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. "You do not say you will," he said finally.

She shrugged and snorted. "Well, duh. I can't see into the future."

A small smile appeared on his face. He walked back into the room and crossed to her side. Madeline tensed immediately. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You keep your word," he announced. "And you never give your word if you can't keep it. Another reason I…"

She stared at him, swallowing. He stared back for a moment, and then seemed to decide against it. Ardeth started to turn away from her again.

Madeline grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He turned back. She grasped the side of his face and pulled his lips down on hers.

His lips pushed back on hers with equal force, his tongue entering her mouth. Her hand traveled up his neck and into his hair. He pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arm tightly around her waist, grabbing the base of her skull with his available hand. She felt him leaning harder and harder into her, finally toppling her over onto the bed. He went down with her, still pressing her against his body, his mouth still attached to her own. Madeline forced her own tongue into his mouth, pulling him closer. His fingers tickled the bare skin on her shoulders as he pulled away the blue covering, throwing it carelessly to the floor. Her stomach leaped, excited and nervous. Her fingers traveled down his chest to the sash around his waist.

Suddenly, he stopped. "No," he murmured breathlessly. "We can't…"

"Why the hell not?" she retorted.

"It is not right," he insisted. "You are… we are…"

"We are both consenting, sober adults," she returned. "Well, maybe not adult in practice, exactly, but according to my age, I am all grown up."

"This isn't the time or the place," he said softly. "It would be wrong. Irresponsible. Selfish."

"What are you waiting for?" she asked almost harshly.

He looked down at the mattress. "You are not a mistress from a Cairo brothel," he said. "You are not some woman from a bar. You are… I am not Jonathan. You are not… I cannot treat you like you don't matter. We are supposed to wait until…"

"Until what, exactly? The wedding ceremony I'm never going to see? Ardeth, I might not have much time left. This could be my only chance. This could be _our_ only chance."

He still seemed hesitant. Madeline grabbed him around the face and kissed him again. This time, Ardeth didn't protest. He didn't stop. He pulled her tightly against him once more, kissing her back. She pulled his sash away. The robes fell open, revealing his tan, tattooed and muscular chest. He shrugged his shoulders and the robes fell onto the floor behind him.

His mouth made its way down her neck. A low moan escaped her lips as he sucked a spot just above her collarbone, his coarse beard brushing against her skin. Everything began to move faster in a confusing whirlwind. She felt a strange yet pleasing sensation in the pit of her stomach. Her hand traveled slowly and softly up his chest as though it had a will of its own, her thumb brushing against his nipple. She felt him moan against her neck.

Ardeth's hand rested on her calf and then journeyed up and under her dress, grabbing a hold of her thigh. She drew her breath in sharply. His lips were still massaging the skin of her throat, making their way lower and lower, until they were within centimeters of her rather revealing neckline. She swallowed, her hands still moving softly against different spots on his chest, eventually returning to the ones that made him moan. The hand on the outside of her thigh made its way inward, getting closer to a much different body part. His other hand moved away from her back, traveling over her rear and down to the hem of her dress, which had ridden up above her knees. Suddenly, the fabric was up, over her head, and then crumpled in a pile on the floor.

Her brain was working at a very quick and yet completely unintelligible pace. Not one of her thoughts was helpful. She had never done this before – what if she was horrible at it? What was he thinking right now? Did she look horrible? She was willing to bet she looked horrible. What about her farmer's tan or her large arm muscles… what if he looked at those and had second thoughts? She hoped he wasn't looking at all, actually. She hoped he was busy with… whatever he was doing.

There were too many things to be nervous about. Her large shoulders, her ineptitude and inexperience at this whole thing… oh, shit. She really hoped he wouldn't notice that tattoo… what if he didn't like tattoos? That was ridiculous – he had millions of them.

She stopped thinking as his mouth moved onto her exposed chest. He didn't seem to notice any of the things she was worried about. She moaned again as his lips caressed her breast, his mouth closing over her nipple…

Madeline decided she ought to be doing something now. Her fingers brushed the skin on his stomach as they made their way down to his pants.

She tentatively took hold of the waistband. Ardeth stopped what he was doing. His breath tickled her ear as he whispered, "Are you sure about this?"

"I said I was," she whispered back, rather breathless.

He nodded. "And now?"

She swallowed. It was now or never. As nervous, insecure, and completely ridiculous as she was feeling right now, she wanted to know how this felt. She wanted to have this experience before she died. And most importantly, she wanted to have it with Ardeth.

Acknowledging that want almost physically hurt. Her stomach flipped over at the thought. She loved him. She really loved him. And he actually loved her back.

Worse timing ever. And that went for both of them.

Madeline nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly, smiling at him, hoping that smile didn't reflect how nervous she felt. "I'm sure."

Apparently, that was all Ardeth needed to hear. His lips met hers, pumping against her mouth. She dragged her lips from his mouth, kissing her way down his neck to his chest. Something between a grunt and a moan escaped from deep in his throat. Her fingers fumbled with the waistband of his pants, and he brushed them away, removing his pants himself.

His lips were nuzzled against her neck. She ran her fingers up his back. His hand was between her legs now, and she whimpered, feeling a very new, yet very pleasing sensation spreading between her thighs.

It was moving so fast. Her fist curled in his tangled hair. One of her legs rubbed against his. His hand was still buried between her thighs, and she could hear herself moaning in response. Ardeth whispered a question in her ear and she nodded.

He slid gently inside her. It still hurt. She drew her breath in sharply, wincing. He asked if she was all right. She nodded, anxious for him to continue. He began to move. They were a twisted mess, her legs wrapped around him, his face in her hair… she could feel him between her legs, inside her, his pelvis rubbing against her most sensitive spot… It only got faster and faster and more confused – and Madeline felt everything melting away: her insecurities, her awkwardness, her jittery nerves…

Later, after the bed had stopped shaking, after her last loud cry, after his final groan, after he had collapsed on top of her chest, and once they were finally apart, lying side by side on the mattress, all of that came back. Her insecurities, her awkwardness, her jittery nerves… all of it came rushing back to her like the Nile pouring into an underground banquet hall.

She stared at the ceiling, breathless, unsure what she was supposed to do now. At least the room was dark, she thought ruefully to herself. Ardeth too lay still in bed with his eyes focused straight up above them, breathing heavily and not saying a word.

"Was that… was that all right?"

Ardeth had asked the question. Surprised, she looked over at him and saw him trying to stare at her inconspicuously. "Yeah," she replied, nodding too hard. "Yeah, it was… it was…"

He was still staring at her. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. "It was great," she finally spit out.

Ardeth returned the smile. Madeline looked away from him and trained her eyes on the ceiling once more. Her teeth began to worry at her lower lip. She supposed it was her turn to say something. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything to say.

Do not, she said sternly to herself, do not, under any circumstances, talk about this being your first time. Don't even _think_ about even _mentioning _the word virginity.

"So… this… this wasn't… this wasn't your first."

So much for that, she thought bitterly to herself as the statement escaped her lips. She swore the wiring between her brain and her mouth just _had_ to be faulty.

"No," Ardeth replied quietly after a short pause. He sounded almost ashamed of himself. "No, it was not."

"Oh," she said, just as quiet. "I, uh… I didn't think so."

Silence fell again. Madeline tried desperately not to talk, but her mouth opened up anyway. "It was… that was… I haven't… it was mine."

"Yes," he agreed. "I could tell."

He could tell? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Did that mean she was terrible at it? He could tell it was her first time because the sex had been so abysmally bad?

"Oh," she replied. "Ok."

She waited a beat. "Well, good-night," she said hastily, rolling over and facing the wall instead of him.

Why the hell was she so embarrassed? You'd think being raised by a rather crass older brother in some of the worst areas in Cairo would have desensitized her to this shit, but oh no. Apparently not. It made her all masculine and alcoholic, but not smooth. Stupid life.

Ardeth's arm snaked around her waist. He rolled her over so she was facing him and wrapped his arms tightly around her body, burying his face in her hair once again.

Well, maybe she hadn't been too horrible after all.

Madeline took a deep breath, pressing her face against his chest. Soon, all the tension and awkwardness fell away, and she felt herself relaxing. Ardeth's breathing slowed and grew heavier, indicating he'd fallen asleep. Not long after him, Madeline's eyes closed, and she too fell asleep.

* * *


	25. The Fire and the Telephone Call

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Jac Danvers, Nelle07, The-Lady-Isis, midnight-flurry, idkaname, kaytieorndorff, Padme4000, zentry, Pirate Hero, Akira, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, SurpriseSurprise, bones881, Pirate College Graduate, Ravenclaw Samurai, Page Mistress, and IKeepGoldfishInMyBra for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 25: The Fire and the Telephone Call

The sun was just rising when Madeline opened her eyes the next morning. Her head was still resting on Ardeth's bare chest, and his arm was still around her, pressing her into his side.

Slowly, apprehensively, she lifted her head off his chest and looked up at his face. His eyes were open and he was staring down at her. Their eyes met and held for a moment.

"Good morning," Ardeth murmured.

Madeline felt a small smile spreading across her face in spite of herself. "Good morning," she replied.

They stared at one another for a moment longer. Madeline gathered the sheets around her bare chest and slowly sat up in bed. Ardeth didn't move an inch from where he leaned against the headboard. The small smile on Madeline's face began to dim a little. She had hoped the awkwardness would be gone after last night, but she could still feel it. Although, it wasn't just awkwardness. It was anxiety too. Last night, Ardeth had told her he loved her. And she had been stupid enough to say it back to him.

Then, of course, there had been what followed…

In short, Madeline wasn't sure what to say or what to do. What exactly happened now?

"We should leave for the mastaba," Ardeth announced.

She shook her head. "No," she disagreed. "We should call Jonathan first."

Ardeth considered that and then nodded his agreement. "Yes," he agreed. "We will call Jonathan. There was a public phone downstairs."

"Good," she said quietly. "Then we'll call from there."

Silence descended again. It was an odd sort of silence. Not awkward exactly, but not comfortable either. It was more like a hesitation than a silence, Madeline decided. Neither one of them seemed sure of what to do.

Finally, Ardeth reached down for his pants. They were still on the floor beside the bed. Madeline looked away, trying not to appear obvious about it, as Ardeth slid into his pants and then rose from the bed.

He disappeared into the washroom. Madeline watched him go, taking in every inch of his tanned and muscular back. This turned out not to be as pleasing as it ought to have been.

"How did I pull this off?" she muttered to herself. "He is so out of my league. Seriously, how the hell did last night even happen?"

Sighing, she glanced down at the floor where her own clothes were crumpled in a pile. Madeline reached for the white dress and gave it a shake. She crumpled her nose as she held it in front of her face, studying it.

"I hate this dress," she complained under her breath.

But there was nothing to be done about it. She had nothing to wear but the dress, and so the dress she must wear. Madeline shrugged into the garment and climbed out of bed, straightening the dress to the best of her ability. She sighed again and glanced at the washroom door.

What happened now? Did anything happen? Was she supposed to say something? Was he supposed to say something?

Suddenly, Madeline wished for Jonathan. She wanted him right there with her so she could tell him every little detail about the night before and then ask for his advice. As soon as the thought entered her head, she almost laughed. Ask Jonathan for advice? She was sure she was the only person in the world who would even consider a move like that.

But that's what she wanted. She wanted Jonathan's jokes and his advice, no matter how terrible that advice may or may not be. But she didn't have that. She wouldn't have that. Even if he picked up the phone when they called him, she wouldn't be able to ask what she needed to ask. Ardeth would be standing right there.

Which meant she was on her own now. She had to figure this shit out for herself. And as much as she didn't like that idea, she had to admit it was probably for the best. Sooner or later, she had to learn how to solve her own problems and control her own life. She had to figure out what was best for her and then apply it.

The door opened. Ardeth began searching for all the pieces of his robes. Madeline hurried inside the washroom and shut the door hastily behind her. She went about trying to fix her hair and clean her teeth.

Her thoughts turned back to the necklace. Would Jonathan even pick up his phone? Was he in Cairo? Was Nasira with him? And if they were in Cairo, if Jonathan did pick up his phone, would he even have an answer for her? Would he know how to stop the curse? Or was she going to die no matter how you sliced it? Had last night been a colossal mistake?

And even if Jonathan had found an answer and she wasn't going to die, had last night still been a mistake? There were many, many reasons why she shouldn't have gone through with it. Where had her uncertainty been then? She had known exactly what she had wanted and she had acted on it. Now she was sore and confused.

But she didn't regret it.

Soon, the two of them were downstairs and Madeline was dialing Jonathan's number, hoping against all odds that he'd pick up.

One ring. Two rings. Three, four, five rings. He wasn't going to pick up.

Six. Seven. Eight…

"Hello?"

Never before in all her life had Madeline been so grateful to hear Jonathan Carnahan's voice.

"Jonathan?" she exclaimed into the receiver. "Jonathan, it's Madeline."

Beside her, Ardeth breathed a sigh of relief.

There was a short pause on the other end of the line. Then, his voice excited and full of disbelief, Jonathan exclaimed, "Maddie? Are you bloody joking? Where the bloody hell have you been?"

"Well, I was…"

"Nasira and I were worried sick, old girl! Where's Ardeth? Is he with you?"

"Yeah, he's here. Jonathan, I…"

"What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"Well, we were…"

"Do you know what we've been through trying to find the two of you? I say, Maddie, if you hadn't called… well, what happened? I demand an explanation!"

"I'm trying to give you one!" Madeline retorted. "Stop interrupting me!"

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"Berkley and his goons kidnapped us," she explained quickly. "We were being hauled around Egypt for the last couple of days, and finally managed to escape. We're back in Meydum now."

"Kidnapped? Bloody hell…"

"Is Nasira with you?"

"When I get my hands on that Berkley bastard, well… I'll… well, I'll give him a very stern talking to, I'll tell you what!"

"That's sweet, Jonathan. And it sounds very intimidating. Is Nasira there?"

"What else happened? Did you tell them about your vision? Did any of the other phases occur?"

"No, nothing yet. That'll change after today. Next on the list is fire, right?"

"Well, yes…"

"Is Nasira there?" Madeline asked for what felt like the thousandth time. She was starting to get exasperated with Jonathan.

"Nasira? Oh, yes, she's here. Would you like to speak to her?"

"Well, no, that's not necessary…"

"Nasira!" she head Jonathan bellow. Madeline rolled her eyes. "Nasira, darling, Maddie's on the phone! She's with your brother!"

There was a pause. "I don't bloody know! Just get over here and talk to her!"

"Jonathan," Madeline interrupted his bellowing. "Really, this isn't…"

"Madeline?" a new voice spoke up excitedly.

"Nasira?"

"Allah, we were so worried! Where have you been? Are you all right? Is my brother all right?"

"We're both fine. Berkley sort of kidnapped us, but we got loose. Look, can you put Jonathan…?"

"He kidnapped you? Both of you?" Nasira sounded nearly panicked. "That is terrible! And the necklace, of course he knew about your visions! What of the phases, did the next one occur? Did you go where you were meant to?"

"No, no, nothing happened," Madeline replied hurriedly. "We're just about to trigger the next phase, the one right after the flood. Look, can I…?"

"I am just so happy you are all right! Let me speak to my brother."

Madeline rolled her eyes, barely holding in her exasperated sigh. "Sure," she said. She handed the receiver to Ardeth. "Your sister wants a word."

Ardeth took the phone. "Nasira?"

Madeline wasn't sure what Nasira said next, but she could hear her voice on the other end as she talked very rapidly and excitedly. "Yes," Ardeth murmured calmly. "Yes, everyone is fine."

Nasira said something else. "I know. You do not need to worry."

More words on Nasira's end. "I am glad you are all right also. I will be seeing you soon."

He paused, listening to his sister. "We need to return to Meydum. After that, I do not know. Is Horus with you or Yasir?"

Nasira's reply was short. "Good. Send him to me, and we will communicate through him. I dare not slow down to wait."

Madeline was starting to get impatient. "Good bye, Nasira," Ardeth said. Then he handed the phone back to Madeline.

She practically yanked it out of his grasp. "Hello?"

"Maddie? It's Jonathan again. Look, we've been deciphering those hieroglyphs ever since you were taken, and…"

Jonathan was interrupted by a very loud, very masculine shout. Madeline froze. She knew that voice all too well.

"Oh, bloody hell," Jonathan muttered.

"Jonathan…" Madeline intoned in a warning voice. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Now, Maddie, old girl, don't be angry with me! I had no choice!"

"You called him?!"

"I had to! You and Ardeth were gone, and I… well, I panicked, Maddie! What did you expect me to do, sit by and twiddle my thumbs?"

"I'm going to kill you!"

"You know, Maddie, that sort of ingratitude is hardly warranted considering…"

Jonathan's reply was cut short as a scuffle broke out on the other end of the line. Madeline grimaced as she heard the phone being wrestled from her friend's hands. Then, the inevitable:

"Madeline O'Connell! I swear I am going to kick your ass, kid!"

Madeline sighed. "Hello, Rick," she greeted her older brother.

"Do you know what you're _supposed_ to do when some psycho British guy puts a cursed necklace around your neck that can supposedly kill you and wipe out the world? Huh? Do you?"

"Rick, I…!"

"You call your brother, Madeline! You call _me_! What the hell were you thinking?

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I don't know! Maybe that you had a wife and a son? A family to take care of? And that it would hardly be wise for you to come rushing over to Egypt to save my ass with a preschooler in tow?"

It was obvious her older brother found her excuses inadequate. "Oh no! Don't you pull that overprotective crap on me, Madeline! I don't think so! I invented overprotective!"

"Oh, you did not!"

"Well, I'm better at it than you! And, as the oldest, it is my right to be overprotective! Do I make myself clear?"

"Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you're always right!" Madeline retorted rather childishly.

"Oh, yes it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

"Yes it does!"

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

Madeline sighed loudly, ending the kindergarten level argument they were having. "I am not going to bicker with you like we're still in the orphanage, Rick! We're both responsible, mature adults who…"

Her brother snorted.

She was immediately affronted. "Don't you snort at me! What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Responsible mature adults don't get drunk in bars with evil anthropologists when they know they're being chased by crazy people trying to resurrect some old pharaoh lady!"

"I wasn't drunk! That guy drugged me!"

"Well, what were you doing accepting drinks from him anyway? Damn it, Maddie! Did you _ever_ listen to me when we were growing up, or did you just ignore everything I ever said?"

"Hey, I knew him! I thought he was normal!"

"You think everyone is normal! You couldn't read a person to save your life… well, obviously! Look at what just happened!"

"I want to talk to Jonathan! Put him back on the line!"

"No! I'm not done yelling at you. In fact, I want to talk to Ardeth! Where was the big bad Med-jai chieftain when my baby sister was being drugged by this Berkley character? Huh? Where was he when that guy was putting that necklace on you?"

Rick's accusations against Ardeth _really _put Madeline on the defensive. "Hey, he saved me! If he hadn't shown up, Berkley would have taken me off somewhere, and then the world really would be ending!"

"Oh, I'm sorry! You're right! Better late than never, huh? Put Ardeth on the phone!"

"No! You put Jonathan on the phone!"

"Ardeth!"

"Jonathan!"

Suddenly, Ardeth grabbed the phone and wrestled it out of her grasp. "Hey!" Madeline exclaimed, glowering at him. "Give that back!"

"O'Connell?" he said into the phone, completely ignoring her. "You wish to speak with me?"

Even from her spot next to Ardeth, Madeline could hear her older brother loud and clear through the receiver. "You're damn right I want to speak to you! When I left Egypt, I told you to take care of my sister, not get her killed!"

"He told you what?" Madeline practically shouted, twice as furious as she'd already been.

Ardeth turned away from her, trying to respond to Rick's accusing comments. "I am sorry, my friend. I did not mean for this…"

"You didn't mean to get my sister killed? Well, never mind then. I forgive you, buddy. Honest mistake!"

Rick's sarcasm was not wasted on Ardeth. He hung his head regretfully. "You are right, O'Connell," he murmured. "I failed you. I failed my people. And I failed your sister. I am sorry. I am trying to fix this."

Madeline was suddenly enraged. She knew how upset Ardeth was about this whole situation. He felt like a complete failure because of it. And the last thing he needed was her pigheaded older brother berating him and making him feel worse.

"Don't you apologize to him," she snapped, jerking the phone back from Ardeth. He was so surprised, he accidentally let go. "You don't have to take that."

She put the receiver up to her face. "Richard O'Connell, just wait until I get my hands on you! How dare you get your friends to spy on me, hmm? And don't you talk to him like that…"

"Oh, no! Don't you act like I'm the bad guy in all this! I'm trying to…"

Whatever Rick was trying to do, he didn't get a chance to vocalize. Suddenly, Evelyn O'Connell's voice rang out clear as a bell, "Richard O'Connell, you stop making a scene this instant! Put that phone down!"

"Stay out of this, Evelyn."

"I will not stay out of this! How dare you speak to me like that – I am your _wife_!"

"She's my sister!"

"Yes, and yelling at her and Ardeth like some sort of crazed maniac is not helping anyone at all! You…"

There was yet another scuffle on the other end of the line, and Madeline could hear Rick and Evie arguing loudly with one another. Jonathan must have gotten a hold of the phone while the O'Connells were fighting, because his voice rang out next.

"Maddie? I'm really sorry, old girl. I just didn't know what to do!"

"It's all right, Jonathan," she sighed. "You're just trying to save the world. And my life. What were you saying about the hieroglyphics?"

"Well, that's the good news, Maddie! Evie's got them all figured out!"

"She does?" Madeline exclaimed excitedly. "What did she say?"

"Uh, well… according to Evie, we are all complete and total imbeciles."

Madeline frowned. "What?"

"Yes, apparently the answer was lying right under our noses the whole time! You remember that one excerpt I read to you? 'Our queen must first drink our pure blood. Should soiled blood be spilt, it shall be as poison to her, and treat her thusly'."

"Yeah, I remember. What about it?"

"Well, Evie says that purity – as, apparently, any bird-brained idiot should have been able to figure out – is meant to mean virginity. Only a virgin can be sacrificed to Nitocris, or the blood of the sacrifice will poison her. That's why Berkley picked you, Maddie, because he knew you were a virgin!"

A very funny feeling began to settle over Madeline. "Oh."

"Don't worry, old girl, it's not just conjecture. Evie translated some of the other bits and pieces and found where it explains everything word for word. All we need to do, is, uh… well, you need to become a… a _non_ virgin, Maddie."

"Oh," she said again.

"Yes, well, and I know this is sort of a touchy subject, and I know we're just friends and all, but…"

Jonathan was starting to ramble. That was never good. He was talking too fast, and his tone was nervous. Madeline could practically see him scratching the back of his head and squinting up his eyes in embarrassment. "Well, you see Maddie, I… you're my best friend, you know, and… I know this whole thing is sort of embarrassing for you, but… well… what I'm saying is that I… I could…"

Oh, god. Madeline's eyes widened. Jonathan was offering to have sex with her.

"Well, the whole thing of the matter is that I know you'd rather… er, _do_ this with someone you trust, and since it can't be with someone who, you know… is… means more to you than a friend or whatever, well… I mean, you trust me, right? I just think… well, old girl, I would gladly… I mean… Maddie, I…"

"Thanks, Jonathan," she interrupted him. "That's really sweet. I mean it. But… well… I don't think you're going to need to do that."

"I'm not?"

"No, see… well, it's sort of ironic, really, that you're telling me this _now_, because I… well… I'm… I'm _not_ anymore, you see…"

"You're not anymore?"

"Um, well… no. No, I'm not."

There was a long pause. "Bloody hell," Jonathan said finally. "You did it? With Ardeth?"

Madeline swallowed hard. She could feel all the blood rushing into her cheeks. Her neck and ears felt like they were on fire. "Um… yeah. Yeah, it was… that's right."

There was yet another long pause. "Bloody hell," Jonathan said again. "I mean… was it… are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Madeline retorted, rather briskly.

"Sorry, sorry, I just… well… what exactly am I supposed to say to that, Maddie?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

"Congratulations?"

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

"Well, at least that takes care of that."

"Yeah," she agreed almost sadly. "That takes care of that."

They were silent again. "Evie wants a word with you," Jonathan announced.

"Ok."

"Take care of yourself, old girl."

"Yeah, you too." She paused a moment. "Jonathan, I miss you."

"I miss you too, Maddie. I miss you too. Here's Evie."

"Madeline? Are you all right?"

"Hey, Evie, I'm fine."

"Oh, good, I'm so glad." The pleasantries exchanged, Evie got right down to business. "First of all, Madeline, I want you to know I understand how embarrassing this probably is for you… and so I sent Rick away just now, because I have a feeling you would prefer it if Rick didn't know all the details."

Madeline immediately felt grateful. "Um… yeah. I really would."

"Which is exactly why I left out that teensy little detail about your virginity when I explained the situation to him. Mind you, I don't like keeping secrets from my husband."

She sighed. "I know. Thanks Evie, I owe you one."

"Well, I'm doing this as much for Rick as I am for you. I somehow doubt learning this particular secret is going to help his blood pressure. Anyway, Madeline, I also wanted to warn you. This plan, well… it's the only one we have."

"I know."

"But it's not fail proof. In order for your blood to poison Nitocris, she's going to have to drink it."

"Drink it?!"

"Yes, which means you'll have to go through with the sacrificial ritual. She's going to have to drink your blood. The good news is that when all is said and done, the pharaoh will definitely die. And you… you… you have a good chance of surviving."

Evie's point was crystal clear. "A good chance?" Madeline repeated. She knew exactly what that meant.

"Yes. I mean, this whole plan is much better than the alternative. After all, the only other way to stop Nitocris at this point is to, well…"

"Put a bullet in my brain?" Madeline supplied as Evie's voice petered out nervously. "Yeah, I know."

There was a sigh on the other end. "I'm sure you'll be fine," Evie said. Madeline didn't believe her. "You're a very strong person. You'll pull through. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, Evie," Madeline replied. She tried to sound optimistic.

"Be careful, Madeline. We're all very worried about you."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know."

"Give my love to Ardeth."

"Ok."

"Good bye."

"Good bye."

Madeline hung up the phone and turned to Ardeth. He stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to convey the news. "Evie says hi," she said.

Ardeth didn't bother to reply.

Madeline stepped away from the phone and made her way to the front doors. Ardeth followed swiftly behind. "What else did Evelyn say?" he demanded.

"Well, she figured out how to save my life."

"How?"

"Apparently, there's a very good reason why Berkley chose me as his sacrifice," Madeline explained. "He chose me because I'm… a virgin. Or, rather, I _was_ a virgin."

Ardeth stared at her. Madeline ignored the look and continued on with her story. "But now I'm not a virgin. So… we actually already did it. We saved the world. All we have to do now is offer me up to Nitocris, let her start drinking my blood, and she'll die."

He frowned at her. "Drink your blood?"

"Yeah, apparently that's how the ritual goes down. She drinks my blood, and then the resurrection is complete – or, in this case, she dies. Then the whole thing is over, and everyone can go home happy."

They were walking down the street, leaving the hotel behind them. There was a camel vendor at the corner, and Madeline made her way towards it, Ardeth at her heels. "So, now that we have…" he trailed off.

"Done... _that_," Madeline supplied. She tried not to blush.

"Yes, I suppose that it is one way of putting it," Ardeth murmured. "What happened last night means we have succeeded in killing Nitocris – or rather, we will succeed."

"Mm-hmm."

"And the world will not end."

"Apparently not."

"And you will not die."

Madeline didn't look him in the eye. "Yep."

Ardeth stopped in his tracks. Madeline kept walking. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back towards him. "Are you lying to me?"

She hadn't expected that response. "No," she exclaimed, shaking her head. "I'm not lying."

He studied her. "But you are not telling me something."

Madeline bit her lip. "Uh…"

"Madeline," he interrupted her in a low, dangerous tone. "Will this kill you or save you?"

She sighed and looked away. "Um, well… it'll probably save me."

He raised an eyebrow. "Probably?"

"Well, there's a much better chance I'll survive now than before."

Ardeth's expression got even graver – and Madeline hadn't thought that was possible. "Before there was no chance."

Good point. "Uh, well…"

"Madeline…"

"Look, Evie said that once Nitocris drinks my blood, she'll definitely go back to wherever the hell she came from," Madeline said, relenting at last. She had to tell him the truth. "And I should be able to survive. It's really likely. I guess. I don't know. I mean, the other way I definitely die. This way, I might not."

"Which is it, really likely or might not?" Ardeth demanded. "There is a big difference between the two."

Madeline sighed. "I don't know. I don't think Evie did either."

Ardeth was quiet. "Look, this is the only shot we got. Either way, it's too late to do anything about it now," she pointed out. "Let's just… let's just do this, ok?"

They stared at one another for a moment. "All right," he agreed finally. Then he stalked over to the camel vendor.

Madeline sighed heavily. She really hoped Evie was right about all this.

* * *

It was hot. It was hot, it was dry, and it was dusty. The Meidum pyramid towered over the plain below it. Madeline and Ardeth stood on that plain, having just dismounted from their camels, staring at the mastaba that lay before them.

"This is it?" Ardeth asked her. "This is the mastaba from your vision?"

Madeline nodded. "Yep. This is it."

They stood there, staring at the tiny dark rectangle that was meant to represent a doorway into the mastaba. Madeline wasn't sure how Ardeth felt about all this, but personally she would rather go swimming with the crocodiles than enter the tomb before her.

Ardeth looked over at her inquisitively. Madeline took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Let's go," she said, leading the way inside.

He hesitated only a moment, pausing to light a torch they had brought with them from town. Then Ardeth followed her into the tomb.

They marched down the long hall, getting farther and farther from the door. Normally, Madeline's curiosity would have gotten the best of her, and she'd be examining the markings on the walls as they went, but at the moment she simply wasn't interested. The torchlight cast flickering, almost ominous shadows on the walls. Madeline concentrated on the view of the end of the hallway, trying to connect the scene in front of her with her vision.

At the end of the long hall in her vision – the same hall she was walking now – Madeline remembered seeing an orange glow. Nitocris had thrown herself into a room on the left.

On the right hand side was an open doorway. On the left side, the side Madeline needed, there was no door at all.

Ardeth appeared ready to enter the door on the right. His torch was already inside the room and he was peering cautiously inside, shining the light into all the corners. "Should we go in?" he asked.

Madeline kept her eyes trained on the wall to her left. "That's not the right room."

She couldn't see Ardeth's face, but she could imagine it. "It's the only room."

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "It's not. It can't be."

Ardeth didn't answer. Madeline frowned at the wall in front of her. The wall was painted to resemble several long, vertical panels. They could be doors, she supposed, if they weren't painted on.

But the panel in front of her might be more than just paint and stone. It wouldn't be the first time. Madeline continued to frown, wondering if the panel really was a door, and how exactly she was supposed to open it.

She shrugged. Oh, well. Maybe it would respond to the necklace – like every other secret door had.

She touched the panel. Suddenly, the necklace burned white hot against the skin of her throat. Madeline let out a loud cry, stumbling back a step from the wall. Ardeth grabbed her by the shoulders.

The mastaba was filled with a loud groaning, grinding sound. The hall began to shake. Ardeth took hold of her upper arm and began pulling her towards the exit.

"Wait," she murmured, trying to stop him. "Look."

Ardeth turned around at her command. He immediately saw what had caused her to stop. The panel in front of them had slid open at her touch, and now they were staring into a dark room.

Madeline made to step forward, but Ardeth grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back. He stepped in front of her, holding the torch out towards the room. "Let me go first," he ordered in a low voice.

She raised her eyebrow at him. What, they had sex and now he got to be all bossy and… and… overprotective? Well, screw that, man, because that was not happening.

"Why do you get to go first?" she demanded in a whisper. She had no idea why she was whispering.

"We do not know what is in here," he replied, a note of exasperation creeping into his voice. He entered the room, swinging the torch around to get a good look at all the dark, creepy corners.

Madeline followed him, giving the back of his head a rather cross look. She gave the chamber a once over. It was charred a horrible sooty black color. Debris littered the floor. In the corner there was a large, unsettling pile of burnt black matter. Madeline winced, hoping it wasn't a body… and strongly suspecting that it was.

Ardeth moved to one side of the chamber, and Madeline purposely chose a different side. It was petty, she supposed, but she was irritated that he had suddenly decided she couldn't take care of herself.

There was nothing much of interest in the chamber. Any drawings or writings that might have been on the walls were now covered in thick black soot and completely indistinguishable. The ground was littered with black debris, none of which took the form of anything distinguishable. Madeline picked her way through the messy chamber, crinkling her nose at the black powder that rose around her with every step.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, very suddenly, pain burned through her skull and she fell to her knees.

Madeline reached up to cradle her head in one hand and tried to look around the chamber for Ardeth. She didn't see him – and then, suddenly, her vision went blurry and she could barely see anything.

There was a flash of orange directly next to her. Madeline suddenly smelled smoke. The temperature in the chamber spiked, and the heat became suffocating. The next phase had begun, and the mastaba was on fire.

Just great.

She tried to get off her knees and back on her feet, but the pain in her head intensified so that she ended up on her ass instead. The smell of smoke was getting stronger, and the air around her was growing hotter. Madeline coughed as the smoke began to engulf her. She strained her ears, but couldn't hear Ardeth.

A horrible thought occurred to her. What if the blaze had broken out near Ardeth and he had been injured, or knocked unconscious? Again, she tried to get up, but the pain in her head knocked her flat on her stomach. The necklace began burning white hot along her collarbone.

She lifted her head up, wincing with the effort. Blinking furiously, she tried to focus her blurring vision. The heat only got stronger and stronger. Her eyes darted frantically around the chamber, but she couldn't see Ardeth.

Then, over the roar of the fire, she heard a voice. The words were indistinguishable, but she knew it must be Ardeth. After all, who else could it be?

She cleared her throat and opened her mouth… and then instantly choked on ash. Madeline began crawling away from the fire, which was burning closer and closer to her, dragging herself along on her forearms. The pain was getting unbearable.

The voice came again. She thought she could see a shadowy figure on the other side of the chamber. Maybe Ardeth was all right.

She hoped he was. Because her crawling was slowing down, and the pain was getting worse, and Madeline knew there was no way she could get herself out of the mastaba without help.

"Ardeth!" she forced herself to call out. Then she started coughing.

She swore she heard him respond, but she couldn't understand what he said. "Ardeth!" she cried out again.

Then the pain hit its peak, and Madeline cried out in agony. Suddenly, she was facedown and flat on the floor. She heard a scream and saw a flash of white… and then, her eyes closed and she fell unconscious.

* * *

Nitocris reached the end of the hall and threw herself through one of the doors awaiting her. The ground was strewn with red-hot embers. The queen stood before the embers in a dignified manner. She was whispering something under her breath. Her eyes closed and she inhaled deeply. Her body landed hard on top of the embers.

The flames crackled and rose higher and higher, blazing all around her prostrate form. The door shut heavily behind her.

The flames and smoke faded away into blackness. Then there was a pinprick of light from one lone torch. The pinpricks multiplied, and suddenly there was a long procession of people carrying a coffin down a dark hall lit only by the torches. They lay the sarcophagus on the floor of the burial chamber and began saying incantations over it.

One lone woman stepped snuck around the praying subjects and quietly made her way towards a bust of the pharaoh. On the bust's neck was a simple gold necklace, engraved with hieroglyphics. The woman was young, much younger than the pharaoh had been, and yet she bore a resemblance to the now deceased pharaoh. She gently unclasped the necklace, keeping a watchful eye on the funeral procession. Then, necklace in hand, she ran for the exit.

The procession didn't notice the girl. Soon, the ceremony was over, and the coffin was abandoned.

Suddenly, the coffin lid sprang open. There was nothing inside of it.

Several miles away, a shallow grave was being dug by a young man. Beside him lay a lump covered in a linen sheet. Suddenly, a young woman – the young woman from the funeral – came up beside him, holding the necklace.

"Our mother's," she whispered. "The cursed one."

He nodded. "It shall be preserved by our family until such time as we can return to this spot."

She nodded this time. Together, they removed the linen sheet from the lump. The lump turned out to be a body wrapped tightly in white bandages. They lifted the mummy from the ground and lowered it into the shallow grave.

Years passed. The grave remained undisturbed. Several dynasties later, a temple was built nearby. Time continued to pass. Many years later, a Med-jai warrior stood before the temple with a young man standing anxiously beside him.

"My sisters grow anxious," he announced. "They wish to resurrect the great pharaoh. I alone know the foolishness in such an act. Her resurrection will lead only to mass death and destruction. This is why I give the necklace to you, Chieftain. I trust your people will protect it like no one else could. You must never let it out of you sight… beware of all those connected with my family."

The Med-jai nodded his understanding. "There is a secret room in this temple where I will conceal it. I hope the gods will assist in keeping this cursed object from the wrong hands."

The years rolled by again. The temple remained heavily guarded, and the grave undisturbed.

Suddenly, the sand exploded, sending billowing clouds into the sky. The shallow grave lay uncovered. Without warning, the mummy awoke with a loud, angry scream.

* * *


	26. The Trip to Luxor

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to Jac Danvers, zentry, Nelle07, Lindsay, The-Lady-Isis, bones881, IKeepGoldFishInMyBra, kaytieorndorff, Padme4000, Hakujou Enputi-shigai, Typhoid-Candy, .lie91, fireboltcrazed, anon, pirate hero, and Ravenclaw Samurai for the reviews!

FUN NOTE: Another author, Angelle Darque, has created a Mummy RPG that uses Self Esteem as its basis. I believe she plans on using the necklace plotline, and I know Madeline will be a character – although she's already been claimed by the game creator. If anyone out there is interested, check my profile page for the URL.

* * *

Chapter 26: The Trip to Luxor

"Madeline? Madeline!"

The sound of her name startled her awake. Ardeth's shouts suddenly ceased as he burst into a loud coughing fit.

Madeline sat up quickly and promptly fell over on her side. "Ardeth," she choked. As soon as his name left her lips, she started hacking too.

His hand closed over her shoulder. "Madeline?" he asked, still coughing. "Are you all right?"

She nodded, trying to catch her breath. "Uh-huh."

Both of them were still choking on the smoke they'd inhaled. Madeline looked over her shoulder. The mastaba was engulfed in a raging blaze. She blinked at the sight, feeling her stomach turn over. That could have been them.

After a few moments, the two of them got their coughing under control. "What did you see?" Ardeth asked.

Madeline was still staring at the burning mastaba in shock. She turned to Ardeth, surprised by his voice. "Um… well, want to hear something ironic?"

He blinked. "Does it have something to do with your vision? Because if not... no."

She narrowed her eyes. "As a matter of fact, it does have something to do with my vision. Remember how I sent Berkley and his pals to Luxor?"

Ardeth frowned, apparently not seeing how this was relevant, but nodding none the less.

"Right, well I think we're supposed to go to Luxor now."

"Luxor?"

"Yeah. I think. Nasira told me the necklace had been hidden in a temple there before all this crazy shit happened. Is that right?"

Ardeth nodded. "Yes, under the protection of Chief Abdul-Sattar. Why?"

"Well, my vision is leading me to that temple. Nitocris was buried near it. Get this – one of her descendents actually _gave_ the necklace to the Med-jai to protect it from the rest of his bonkers family."

Ardeth looked mildly surprised. "None of the elders have ever spoken of this," he murmured. "I have never heard that part of the story."

She shrugged. "The Med-jai didn't seem to know a whole lot of the story."

He nodded, surprising her this time. She'd expected annoyance at the joke on his people. "You have a point."

They lapsed into silence. "So…" Madeline said finally. "You kind of disappeared back there."

Ardeth met her eyes. "So did you."

She chewed her lip, trying to think of the right words to say. She never got a chance. "Luxor it is then," Ardeth announced as he got to his feet and held out his hand for her.

* * *

Madeline collapsed face first on the mattress. "I thought you said we were going to Luxor!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled by the bedspread.

"We will," Ardeth replied, somehow expressing both patience and exasperation in his voice. "But Nasira told me she would send Horus here, and I want to wait a little longer for him."

Rather annoyed, Madeline rolled over on her back and let loose a loud sigh. She stared up at the ceiling she'd slept under last night. Were they ever going to leave freaking Meydum?

She could hear Ardeth rustling around in the washroom. She sighed again and closed her eyes. Her throat was dry and her head hurt and she wanted to leave this stupid village.

The mattress groaned as Ardeth sat down beside her. He held out a glass of water to her. Madeline looked at him out of the corner of her eye, and accepted the drink. She took a sip. "Thanks," she murmured.

They sat in silence for a moment. Then there was a sudden whooshing sound as a surprisingly large tan blur flew in through the open sliding doors. Madeline jumped about half a foot in the air and scooted to the far end of the bed.

The tan blur landed on Ardeth's outstretched arm. "Horus!" he exclaimed, his face brightening up. Madeline stared at him, shocked by the smile on his face. She'd never seen him look so animated.

The hawk had a letter tied to his leg, and Ardeth removed it gently, reading it with interest. "It is from Nasira," he announced. "They left Cairo just after she sent this. I'll send a letter back and tell her to meet us in Luxor."

"You don't want to wait for them?"

He shook his head. "I don't think it wise to take that risk."

Madeline nodded mutely, still staring at Horus as Ardeth grabbed hold of the complimentary stationary and started writing Nasira a response. Once he'd finished, he looked up at Madeline and, seeing the expression she was giving his pet, laughed slightly. "What is wrong?" he asked.

She looked up, affecting confusion. "Nothing. What? I don't know… what are you talking about?"

His smile grew. "Horus does not bite."

"Hawks don't have teeth."

Ardeth laughed again. "He does not nip, or scratch, or even screech within four walls. He is very well-behaved. He is…"

"Your best and most clever friend, I know," Madeline interrupted, still eyeing the bird with distrust. "But he's not mine."

Ardeth returned to his place on the bed beside her, Horus still perched on his arm. "You should get to know him," he murmured, his gentle smile still in place.

"No," Madeline replied without hesitation.

"Why not?"

"Well… I just… look, I don't get along with animals so well, all right? They freak me out. Plus… they don't seem to like me very much."

He continued to smile. "Horus likes everyone… so long as he can trust them."

"What if he can't trust me?"

"I can trust you. Therefore, so can Horus."

"Well, that's comforting," she mumbled.

Ardeth held his arm out a little closer to her. "Go on."

Madeline made no move. Ardeth took her hand and gently placed it on Horus' head. "Just pet him like you would a dog."

"Dog, huh? Don't dogs bite?" Despite this reply, Madeline did as requested, rubbing Horus' feathered head as gently as she knew how.

To her surprise, the bird did not squirm away from her, or even nip at her fingers. In fact, Horus did quite the opposite. Soon, he was nuzzling her hand as she stroked him.

Madeline couldn't help the big, goofy grin that spread across her face. "Hey! He's nuzzling my hand!"

Ardeth merely smiled.

She laughed a little. "Wow. That's so cool. Your bird doesn't hate me!"

"Hawk," Ardeth corrected.

Madeline rolled her eyes. "I know that."

She petted Horus a little bit longer before reality made a reappearance. "I better send Horus back to Nasira," Ardeth murmured.

Madeline nodded, withdrawing her hand. Ardeth tied his letter around Horus's leg, stepped outside onto the balcony, and let Horus loose into the sky. The hawk flapped his wings and took off, soon disappearing into the horizon.

* * *

Mere hours later, Madeline found herself boarding a boat alongside Ardeth. He had used the last of Charles Berkley's money to book them passage on a boat heading down the Nile that would make a stop at Luxor. Madeline couldn't help but be concerned about this plan – after all, she couldn't recall a single scenario where traveling on a boat ended well for her.

The two of them found their stateroom and settled in for what was sure to be a long, very annoying journey. Madeline surveyed their small space, her eyes taking in the white paint, the tiny washroom, and the two slender bunks positioned on opposite ends of the room. She took a seat on one of the two beds, her hands resting softly on the edge of the mattress and her shoulders involuntarily hunched. Her eyes, glazed and unfocused, settled indifferently on the light blue carpet.

Ardeth sat down next to her. She looked up at him in surprise. He didn't look at her. Madeline watched as he reached into the folds of his robes and pulled out two curved scimitars and a Webley revolver.

"Where did you get those?" she asked quietly.

"I took them from the men that followed us when we escaped," he murmured. "I bought you some ammunition."

He placed the pistol and bullets in her lap. "Thanks," Madeline half mumbled.

They were quiet for a moment. "So," Madeline said finally. "You think Berkley's going to show up pretty soon?"

Ardeth frowned, looking straight out the window. "I don't know. I doubt it. Rashid was very careful to make sure no one followed us on the road to Meydum."

Madeline nodded and fell silent.

There was a loud whistle. Madeline took that to mean the boat had cast off. For another few moments, Madeline and Ardeth continued to sit quietly on the edge of the bunk. Finally, Ardeth handed one of the swords to Madeline.

She frowned at him. "What's this for?"

"I remember you showed some potential with a sword at Hamunaptra," he replied. "I thought maybe you would like to learn something about swordplay."

Madeline continued to frown at him. Ardeth wouldn't face her directly, but he spared her a short glance out of the corner of his eye. Was this some weird attempt to spend time together or something? Really, why was this so awkward anyway? They'd already had a talk about their emotions and other such bullshit… and then they'd had – well, you know – and right before that, they'd practically flat out stated that they loved one another. This was not the sort of behavior two people in their position were expected to exhibit.

She considered voicing this opinion, but decided that wasn't likely to help matters any. Instead, she lifted the scimitar off her lap and examined the blade. "You want to show me how to… how to use this thing?"

"If you'd like me to."

Madeline smiled at him. "Yeah," she said. "I'd like that."

He got to his feet and surveyed the small stateroom. "There is not a lot of room in here," he announced. '"But I think we can manage."

She nodded, getting up as well. "Whatever. Just don't stab me."

Ardeth's trademark 'almost smile' appeared, and Madeline automatically grew a grin of her own at the familiar sight. "I would never," he replied.

Words that hit almost too close to home. At this point, she supposed it didn't matter. According to Evie, there would no longer be any call for Ardeth to stab her. Still, she couldn't help but remember that less than twenty-four hours ago there _had_ been a call for such an act. He'd been unwilling to do it then, too. As romantic as she supposed someone else would see that, Madeline felt a moment's worth of worry at the memory. Ardeth and dutiful went together. Always fulfilling his duties – that was the hub of his personality, the key piece of the puzzle that constituted Ardeth Bay – and if she could draw him away from that, she had no business in the Med-jai chieftain's life.

But the thought had not fully formed before Ardeth took hold of her wrist and repositioned the sword in her hand. He rambled off something about where to put her fingers and why this position was the best, but Madeline didn't entirely hear the advice. His touch was suddenly ten times more electric than she remembered. There was barely an inch of space between his chest and her back, and Madeline couldn't help but feel, for once in her life, completely uninterested in weaponry.

The minutes ticked by as Ardeth explained different moves and positions that she would need to know. He demonstrated thrusts and parries, which Madeline tried her best to imitate.

It was gratifying, although maybe not surprising, to hear Ardeth comment on how precisely she held herself, or make an observation on how well she duplicated some of the moves. The compliments were nice to hear, but at the same time Madeline had suspected she would do at least tolerably well when it came to swordplay. Exceeding in battle had always been her gift – and at times, her curse – despite the weapon she was using. Be it pistols, swords, or even her bare hands, Madeline had always been able to hold her own. It was what set her apart from the other women around her – and what made her relation to Rick so obvious. She was O'Connell through and through; the brown hair, the blue eyes, the muscles, and the inborn ability to kick some ass. And as useful and even somewhat admirable as that might have been, Madeline couldn't help but wonder sometimes what it would be like to be a normal woman.

Having given a thorough demonstration of some more basic moves, Ardeth now moved away and stood facing her from a fair distance. "You grasped the basics rather quickly," he announced. "Let's see how you do in combat."

She raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm ready for that?"

Ardeth nodded. "You have good instincts," he murmured. "I remember."

Madeline felt the beginnings of a blush in her cheeks. "Thanks," she muttered.

He stood poised, his scimitar held in a defensive position. Madeline eyed his blade uncertainly. "Go on," he nodded at her.

"You want me to start?"

"Unless you are afraid."

Madeline narrowed her eyes at him. A very small smile was playing on his lips. "Afraid? Ha! You wish I was afraid."

"I am still waiting your move."

She continued to glare at him for a moment. Then, as quickly as she could, Madeline leapt forward and brought the sword down towards his head.

Of course, she had intended to stop the blade before she did even the slightest damage, but she didn't have to. Ardeth knocked the sword away from him with a move so fast that Madeline didn't even see it coming. She tightened her grasp on the scimitar, stumbling to the side. The sword had nearly flown from her hand.

He smirked at her. Madeline scowled, and rushed him again, hoping to catch him off guard. He merely sidestepped her and she almost tripped over the bed that had been beside him.

"Give up?" he taunted her.

Madeline stared at him, almost shocked by his goading. "You're an ass," she exclaimed.

Ardeth was still smirking at her, very slightly. "It is all right if you cannot…"

She swung her sword with all her might at him. Ardeth ducked the blade just barely. He whipped his own sword in her direction, and she blocked it instinctively. His scimitar veered towards her again, this time coming in at a lower angle. Madeline's sword came crashing down on top of his. The force knocked Ardeth slightly off balance. Immediately, Madeline stepped forward swinging. He blocked each of her swings but stumbled backwards as he did so, her advances forcing his retreat.

For one brief moment, Madeline thought she'd gained the upper hand… until Ardeth ducked his head, allowing her sword to swing harmlessly past him, and then leapt up, his sword swerving towards her. She blocked the swing, but Ardeth took a step forward, stealing her offensive position and putting her on the defensive. His swings came at a more rapid pace, one which she could barely keep up with. Finally, her hand faltered at a fatal moment and Ardeth disarmed her with one good swing of his sword. She stumbled backwards with the force of the blow and nearly tripped over her fallen weapon. Ardeth caught her around the waist, lifting her up against him. She automatically gripped his upper arms, trying to steady herself.

"Not bad," he murmured, inches from her face.

Madeline swallowed, suddenly unable to look away from him. "You need to approach your battles more collectedly," he went on. "You attack with anger, and therefore lessen your control over the weapon."

"If you didn't tease me, I wouldn't attack with anger," she replied in a quiet voice.

He smiled down at her. "All your opponents will try to provoke you."

She doubted any other opponent would succeed in provoking her quite the same way Ardeth did. The longer they stayed in that position, the less Madeline could think of to say. Ardeth continued to stare at her, not letting her go. She could feel her breathing getting heavier.

His scimitar hit the ground with a clang. He pressed her tighter into his chest and seized the side of her face with his free hand, his lips crashing down furiously on hers. Madeline drew her breath in sharply, surprised. Then she kissed him back, her hands twisting themselves into his hair. Their lips pumped against one another almost desperately as Ardeth lifted her off the floor and onto his chest. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. One of his hands buried itself in her hair and he clutched her tighter against him, before dropping her on one of the bunks. Still, he didn't let go of her, and Madeline certainly didn't stop kissing him. He joined her on the mattress, still kissing her heavily, and Madeline began to think they were going to have a repeat of the night before when Ardeth suddenly pulled away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered breathlessly. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"Why?" she asked, frowning.

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. I…"

Madeline stared at him, waiting for his explanation.

Ardeth shook his head yet again. "Last night was… this would be different. This would be… this would be selfish. Am I right?"

She raised an eyebrow and snorted. "You're asking me? Damn, that right there is how you know you're in trouble."

He stared at her a moment, and then closed the distance between them. His lips fell onto hers, and she threw her arms around his neck. Ardeth pulled her to him once again and Madeline fell into him, pressing herself against his chest. Suddenly, she was underneath him and his hand was inside her flimsy blue jacket.

Madeline wasn't quite sure what came over her all of a sudden, but her hand found his and held it in hers. Slowly, she pulled away from his kiss, struggling to sit up. Ardeth frowned at her, pulling away just enough to allow her to regain a sitting position on the mattress. She found herself unable to meet his eyes, and stared holes in the bedspread beneath them.

"Do you really love me?" she asked, her voice almost miserable.

She couldn't see Ardeth's face directly, but she caught a very telling glimpse out of the corner of her eye. He looked bewildered. "I said I did…"

"I know, but… but I just don't understand how. Or why. Why do you love me? Are you sure you love me? I mean… you are Med-jai, and therefore have this whole mega-warrior, protecting the innocent thing going on. Are you sure you don't just look at me and think: 'Wow. This girl is a mess. If anyone needs me to take care of her, that's the girl.' Are you sure you don't think that? Because that's not exactly love, Ardeth… not that I'm such an expert either, I suppose…"

He interrupted her. The tone of his voice suggested there would be no room for argument when he'd finished speaking. "Madeline, out of all the women I've known, I believe you are the most _unlikely_ to need me to take care of her."

"No you don't." Madeline could always find room for argument.

"I do. You are a warrior. You are completely capable of fighting your own battles. You _do_ fight your own battles."

"But if I can fight my own battles, why do you… you still try to protect me. I've noticed. Not that I think so highly of myself that I – well, I'm not blind either."

"Just because you don't need my protection, doesn't mean I don't want to protect you. I want to keep you safe, Madeline – I care about you."

"But _why_?"

"Why? I might as well ask _you_ why you care about _me_!"

"Well, that's ridiculous," Madeline rolled her eyes. "There are plenty of reasons why I would love you. There's really no surprise there. I mean, you're… you're Ardeth Bay! When I first saw you, I just… I mean, you were so beautiful, you were… you were tall and dark and handsome and…"

She trailed off, feeling her face flush. Quickly, she changed subjects. "And… and then I got to know you and I found out that you're strong and fierce, but at the same time you can be so gentle, and almost sweet… you're so noble and honest, and yet you can be funny – you have this subtle sarcastic sense of humor, and… and, god, Ardeth, I'm a freaking mess and you still treat me like a person, like someone who deserves to be treated the best way you know how, and yet that isn't even true. I know it isn't true. You're so… you're just so damn good, Ardeth, you're too good… way too good for me."

He looked ready to interrupt, so Madeline hastened to finish her piece. "I mean, I'm completely unladylike, what with the pants and the cussing and… and I shoot pistols and, well…. hell, I'm not good at anything really. I'm too masculine, and I'm awkward and I'm clumsy… shit, I'm almost an alcoholic. I'm not even pretty, so there's not even _that_ to make up for all the other crap, and… How can you love me? Why? When it's just so obvious that I'm not worth it?"

Her questions did not have their desired effect on Ardeth. Instead of nodding his agreement and voicing his opinion that they nip this romance in the bud – if whatever this was could even be considered a romance – Ardeth shook his head sadly and caressed the back of the hand he still held in his. "Madeline, that is your worst quality. Your lack of confidence. That is your one truly unattractive trait."

Unable to stop herself, Madeline huffed in offense. "Thanks a lot."

"What do you expect? I would not allow anyone to speak of you that way – you think I will let _you_ talk about yourself in this manner? Madeline, when I first met you… I thought you were beautiful. You were strong. You were a warrior, from the first moment I…"

"And then I was a drunken mess. At the worst possible time, too."

"Well… yes, I did not particularly care for that, I must admit." There was a soft smile on his face as he said those words.

"I'll bet you didn't."

"I thought you less of a warrior at that point, I will not lie. You seemed irresponsible, foolish even…"

"Right here!"

"But… at the same time, there was still something intriguing about you. I had never known any woman in my tribe to act that way. You were… you were different, different than any woman I'd ever known."

"And not in a good way."

"Perhaps not at first. Then... then I came to realize there was more to you than met the eye. You showed yourself brave and true and irreversibly noble. You were so easy to talk to… and you were funny. You made me smile – sometimes even laugh, when my smiles are rare enough. You… you balance me."

It was a pretty speech, but Madeline wasn't sure she was buying it. Just because Ardeth believed that crap didn't mean she was going to. "But Ardeth, I'm no good. I'm no good for you, and I'm definitely no good for your people. Yasir was right, everything he said – I'll only complicate things. Your people will hate me. They'll see me as a threat. And, I don't know…. Look, I'm just not the right woman to be on your arm."

"I think you are the perfect woman to be on my arm."

"Are you… are you asking me… is that…?"

"No. No, of course not."

"Good. Don't ask me that."

There was a short silence. Finally, with his eyes trained on the coverlet, Ardeth said, "But you _are_ good enough. I am a warrior, Madeline. My people are warriors. And so are you. My people could ask for no better queen than another warrior."

Madeline was starting to think that Ardeth was getting dangerously close to asking the question he'd said he wouldn't ask. "Maybe we should just… look, everything's sort of confusing right now. I mean, we're all caught up in this what if I die, we might never get another chance, what if we never see one another again crap… maybe that's clouding our judgment, you know? It's the… the adrenaline or something. Maybe when this is over, when I'm going to be around for a while, when you know we have the rest of our lives… maybe you won't want me anymore. And that would be ok. I would understand."

"I think the fear for your life would show me my true feelings better than any other situation we could be in."

"Well… maybe. But maybe not. Maybe once we're back with our families, and you're reunited with your tribe, and this necklace isn't on my neck anymore… maybe when all is said and done, you'll remember why you can't love me, why it's not practical. Maybe you'll realize that you don't really love me, that it was all this crap and… and maybe you'll decide you don't want me anymore. Maybe. It could happen. It might be best if it did."

He looked up and met her eyes dead on. The eye contact was unsettling, and Madeline felt a desperate need to look away. Yet she couldn't drag her gaze from his. He stared deep into her eyes, and she felt weak-kneed and almost violated, as if he could see everything that was inside her with that one single stare.

"I will always want you, Madeline," he replied, with the utmost certainty.

Unexpectedly, tears sprang to her eyes. "You can't know that," she whispered.

He nodded. "At this point, I believe I can."

She bit her lip. He wouldn't stop staring at her. Madeline blinked and one tear dribbled over her lower lid and trickled down her cheek. Ardeth cupped her chin in his hand. His thumb gently brushed her cheek, wiping the tear away.

Madeline stood up suddenly. Her eyes stayed focused on the floor as she backed towards the exit. Ardeth got to his feet as well, frowning as he watched her walk away. "Madeline…"

She held up her hand. "Uh… I… I need some air. I'm going to… I'm going to go on deck… for a little while."

Ardeth looked sad. "Are you going to the bar?"

And suddenly, Madeline felt a lot less weepy and a lot more defensive. "Maybe. Why?"

His expression seemed to get more downcast. "Are you going to get a drink?"

She tossed her head. "Well, what if I am? I mean, lets face it Ardeth. No matter what you say and no matter what I say, when it comes right down to it I can't have you and you can't have me. End of story. So if I can't have you, then I might as well have a drink. I don't see why I shouldn't."

Ardeth didn't give her an answer. He just stared at her.

Madeline took a deep breath. "I'll be back later," she said. Then she turned and walked out the door.

* * *

The sun had set a while ago. At least an hour had to have passed since the scene in the stateroom between her and Ardeth, and Madeline still hadn't gained any perspective on the situation. She sat on a stool at the bar, her legs crossed at the ankle, staring into the glass cradled in her two hands.

She felt awkward sitting at the bar in her white dress. The dress wasn't too formal or outdated, so she didn't attract too many passing stares – but at the same time she felt too pretty, too dressed up, too… feminine. She didn't feel like herself at all.

Sighing, Madeline took a sip of her drink. Suddenly, someone sat at the bar beside her.

"Whiskey for me, mate!" he called out to the bartender.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was a tall, mildly attractive young man with a rather cocky air about him.

Madeline returned to her drink. "And for you, miss?" the man asked.

She frowned. Was he talking to her?

She risked a second look at the man on the next barstool. He was in fact talking to her. "Sorry?"

"What would you like to drink?" he repeated himself. "Seeing as I plan on buying you one and all."

He winked. Madeline felt her stomach shrink inside of her. Great. She really wished she hadn't bothered to clean up before leaving Meydum. No dress in the world could have redeemed her appearance if she had still been sweaty and dusty, with her hair all in tangles.

Damn this dress anyhow.

"Um… you don't have to do that," Madeline replied, giving him a half hearted grin before she returned to her drink.

"Well, I know I don't have to," the man pushed on. "But I'd like to just the same."

"Thanks. But I already have a drink."

"There's always room for one more. What do you say?"

"Really, thanks. But no thank you."

There was a brief silence. "Married, are you?" the man asked.

"What?" Madeline asked incredulously.

He grinned wide and held out his hand. "Name's Karl. What's yours?"

She stared at him. "Carla," she replied on a whim.

"Really? What a coincidence."

Madeline grunted and looked back down at her drink.

"So, Carla, if that is your real name," Karl smirked. "What are you doing here, all alone? You traveling with anyone or are you unaccompanied? Because, after all, that would be simply dreadful. A pretty woman like you, out in this country all by her lonesome, no one to look out for her…"

"Are you kidding?" Madeline interrupted, finally unable to deal with the unwanted suitor. "I can take care of myself. Trust me. Now, Karl, why don't you go sell your wares to some other unsuspecting lady?"

Karl blinked. His pleasant countenance crinkled up in an offended frown. "Now wait just a moment, miss, I only wanted to…"

Madeline saw the dark, tattooed hand land on poor Karl's shoulder too late to warn him. Karl winced as the hand squeezed his shoulder in what had to be a very tight and uncomfortable grip. "Can I help you?" Ardeth ground out between his teeth.

Karl looked over his shoulder, his mouth wide open. "Uh… um… I…"

"You don't have to scare him to death," Madeline said. "He didn't do anything."

Ardeth's murderous expression didn't fade, but he did let go of the other man's shoulder. "I would leave now," he told Karl.

Karl didn't need to be told twice. He threw back his shot and bolted.

Ardeth took his vacant seat. Madeline looked down at the bar. "You have been out here for a while," he said quietly.

She shrugged.

"How long was that man with you?"

"Why?" she grumbled. "Are you jealous? Because that's not an attractive trait, Ardeth."

There was a short silence. Then, before she could stop him, Ardeth took her glass and sniffed the clear liquid inside of it.

He frowned, setting the glass back on the counter. "It's water," he murmured.

She shrugged again.

"I thought you were getting a drink."

"Yeah, well…" Madeline trailed off and shrugged for the third time. "I just… couldn't."

She wished she knew why she couldn't drink right now. Something about the sad look on Ardeth's face when she'd said she was headed to the bar had ruined alcohol for the night.

They sat there quietly for a moment. Madeline took another sip of her water. "It's late," he said softly. "Will you come back to the room now?"

Would she? Madeline wasn't quite sure yet. Contemplating the water before her, she pursed her lips and let out a small, almost inaudible sigh. Slowly, she ran her finger around the rim of her drinking glass.

"I would apologize, if that would help," Ardeth murmured. "But I'm not sure what I would be apologizing for."

Madeline looked up at him and caught his eye. She gave him a small smile. "You wouldn't be apologizing for anything," she replied. "You haven't done anything wrong. I'm just… I don't know, Ardeth. Everything feels different now. I just… I wish this wasn't so hard."

There was a long silence. Then Ardeth took her hand. "Let's go back to our room."

Our room. For some reason, those two little words felt like two painful pokes. Madeline didn't understand why it hurt to hear him say the word 'our' when referring to anything the two of them shared. Maybe because she knew, deep down, that they would never really have anything they could consider both of theirs. 'Our' would never apply to them.

Back when she had been nursing those secret feelings inside of her, before she had known how Ardeth felt about her, before they had talked about all those things they felt and knew… well, it just wasn't the same anymore. Somehow, everything was harder. Knowing how he felt made it harder. Because no matter what she felt or what she wanted, Madeline just knew, deep down, that once Nitocris had been stopped, everything between them would be over.

She squeezed back on his hand. "Ok."

They returned to the stateroom. Once inside the small room, Madeline took a seat on her bunk. Ardeth bolted the door and sat down on the other narrow bed, directly across from her.

The silence literally filled the room, all the way to the top, and suffocated the two people sitting in the already too small space. Madeline started to chew on her lip, just as she always did in the midst of an awkward silence.

"You don't always have to be so brave," Ardeth spoke up suddenly. "I already know your courage; if you slip up, I won't think any less of you."

She frowned at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Why is it you don't want this to work?" he asked. "Are you afraid you'll lose your strength if you accept mine?"

"I _do_ want this to work… Ardeth, what are you even talking about? _What_ don't I want to work? What _is_ this? Don't be ridiculous; we both know this isn't going anywhere. It's not because I don't want it to. It's because too many other people don't want it too."

"Why should anyone else's opinion matter?"

"It does matter. You know it matters. Normally, I'd say fuck everyone else, but you can't say that when you're Med-jai chieftain. Your people matter. They matter more than… more than this. I'm not going to be the one who destroys you."

They fell silent again. "I'm going to bed," Madeline said after a moment.

Ardeth said nothing. Madeline lay down in her bunk and faced the wall, closing her eyes. She didn't fall asleep for a long time.

* * *


	27. The Howling Storm

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to zentry, midnight-flurry, Nelle07, Typhoid-Candy, The-Lady-Isis, IKeepGoldFishInMyBra, Anon, Jac Danvers, Padme4000, bones881, and pirate hero for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 27: The Howling Storm

Madeline stopped for a moment to catch her breath, glancing over her shoulder at the steamboat gently winding its way down the Nile. On the other side of the river the sun was sinking into the desert dunes, painting the sand all around her and Ardeth a faint pink.

She and Ardeth had stepped off that steamboat's gangplank less than half an hour ago, and were now headed towards the Luxor temple. Immediately upon arriving in Luxor, Madeline had known at once, even though her view of the temple was from a distance, that her visions had meant to lead her there.

The boat ride from Meydum had taken nearly two days, but the walk from the docks to the temple would be relatively short. Not that it really mattered how long it took to reach the temple; it would feel like an eternity, she was sure. Ever since the night before, after the conversation she'd had with Ardeth about the impracticalities of their immensely fucked up relationship, her and Ardeth hadn't spoken two words to one another. Feeling awkward, Madeline stared at the dusty ground as she lagged along behind Ardeth, who marched ahead purposefully with a black bag tossed over his shoulder and refusing to glance back at her.

The sun continued to sink in the sky as Madeline and Ardeth drew closer to the temple. Soon the sun disappeared entirely, and the moon took its place, casting the ruins in a pale silver glow. Suddenly Ardeth stopped and turned back to her, holding out his hand. "Walk closer to me," he ordered. "This place is not safe in the best of times, but especially so at night. Often times, these spots are frequented by bandits… and if Abdul's men should stumble upon us and not recognize me in the dark…"

"I can handle my own," Madeline retorted. "You gave me a gun. I know how to shoot it. I bet I can shoot it better than you can."

Ardeth's face tightened with impatience. "Don't make me ask twice."

Madeline scoffed. "Or what?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but she suddenly remembered sitting at a table, feeling very drunk and very sick, watching dimly as her older brother lifted Evie off the ground and over his shoulder and then locked her inside her bedroom. Not that there was a bedroom out here for Ardeth to lock her inside of… and she had a feeling she'd be much harder to toss over someone's shoulder than petite little Evie had been… but she wasn't sure she wanted to test him just the same.

Rolling her eyes theatrically, Madeline shuffled closer to him and crossed her arms over her chest. Ardeth smiled very slightly and continued walking towards the temple. The smile only deepened Madeline's scowl.

Finally they reached the temple. The ancient stone building towered over them, the moonlight twisting its nooks and crannies into dark, shadowy and foreboding recesses. Its two walls on either side of the entrance hunkered above them, the different mud-bricks indistinguishable from one another in the dark. Between the two huge walls, Madeline could just barely make out several pillars and statues. Having seen enough to convince her she was in the right place, Madeline took the lead, looking for the exact spot where Nitocris had been buried. Ardeth allowed her to go first, but stayed a maddening two inches behind her as they circled the temple. They had nearly completed the circle when Madeline frowned and stopped.

"Is this it?" Ardeth asked her.

She surveyed her surroundings. The pillars looked familiar, even in the fading moonlight. Madeline frowned up at the sky, seeing the dark clouds that were rolling across the moon. The clouds made her unaccountably uneasy. Trying to ignore her unsettled stomach, she began backing up from the building, scrutinizing the temple as she went. The farther she got from the temple, the more she became convinced this was the right place.

"Madeline!" Ardeth called out, leaping forward. "Careful!"

She whirled around, panicked. Ardeth caught her wrist and pulled her towards him. Madeline stared down into a large, square, empty hole that went about four feet down into the earth.

Nitocris' grave.

"Well," Madeline announced. "Looks like this is the right place."

No sooner had the words left her mouth then there was a huge clap of thunder, a bright flash of lightening, and the clouds above burst open and spilled torrents of rain down upon them.

Madeline's head swung back to look up at the sky. The rain had barely begun and she was already absolutely drenched. To make matters worse, a cold, fierce wind whipped by them, lowering the temperature and sending rain flying up into their faces. She gathered the flimsy jacket around her, covering her chest. Her white dress was already completely transparent.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," she said, her voice lost in the pounding rain.

Ardeth's hand rested firmly on the small of her back as another lightening bolt brightened the sky. Thunder echoed soon after. "We should get inside!" he called, steering her towards the temple.

Suddenly, her head burned. Madeline cried out and stumbled into Ardeth. He tightened his hold on her. "Madeline?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but only managed a second sharp cry of pain before the aching in her head intensified. Her knees buckled beneath her. Ardeth caught her up in his arms and practically ran inside the temple.

He carried her deep enough inside the building to escape the blinding rain and howling wind. Madeline's head felt like it was on fire. "A vision?" Ardeth asked.

If she hadn't been in so much pain, she might have rolled her eyes and bit out a sarcastic retort. Instead she nodded, wincing through the movement.

Ardeth sat her down in a corner and knelt beside her. She cradled her head in her hands, feeling the world start to fade away. Her vision went black and she collapsed against the wall.

* * *

The son and daughter of the now deceased Nitocris walked a long distance from the site of their mother's grave. They hiked for hours through the cliffs that would one day be known as the Valley of the Kings until they'd nearly reached the opposite end. It was there that the daughter pressed a spot on the side of a cliff. There was a loud groan as the cliff began to shake. The rocky wall parted in half, spreading open before them, slowly, impressively.

The brother and sister trekked deep inside the cavern, down a long, dark, winding passageway, past carvings and hieroglyphics and deep depressions that may or may not have led into more passages. They marched to the end of the long passageway, which opened up into a large cavern.

"Here is where our mother shall meet her descendents," the young woman whispered. "We will build an altar and temple here, to honor her. To please her when she awakens."

Her brother inclined his head in agreement.

Thousands of years passed. Then, as she watched, Madeline became a participant rather than an observer. A long, torchlit procession carried her down that same long passageway and into the cavern. Thousands of years had changed the place. There were tall, painted pillars standing in the cavern corners, and complicated murals on the stone walls.

The fear mounted in her chest, despite her passive lack of action. Dream-Madeline was a willing sacrifice; real-Madeline was not. The procession carried her into the now very ornate, richly decorated room, past gold sculptures and decorative weaponry, and then deposited her on a long stone platform in the center of the cavern. The platform was lit by candles. Before her, the wall was painted to resemble colorful, hieroglyph-covered double doors that stretched to the very top of the tall cavern ceiling. The procession began to chant in low, murmuring tones, and then, after several minutes of staring at those painted doors in horror, the doors proved themselves real by swinging open to reveal a brightly lit yet smoky room. A dark, shadowy form stood in the doorway.

The fear continued to grow as the form passed through the doors and made its way toward the altar. Madeline watched as the shadowy form grew facial features and a legitimate body shape. As the form drew nearer, Madeline realized it was a woman's form… but she looked dead. Charred, rotted, wrapped in bandages, gray and twisted, the woman came closer and closer and closer…

And then the gray, twisted mummy sunk her teeth deep into Madeline's neck, and began to suck. She felt the blood being vacuumed from her veins, and her vision growing dim. She heard the wind whistle in her ears and the distant sound of screams as her soul began to slip away from her corporeal form…

The struggles began. She fought, but the lips wrapped around her arteries were too strong to shake loose. The mummy – or Nitocris, whose mummy Madeline was sure was draining her dry – continued to suck the blood from her body. Madeline fought to hold on to consciousness and at the same time break free of the mummy's jaws, but managed neither. The blood fled her body. She began to lose her senses. The last feeling she felt before completely checking out was absolute and utter panic.

Then she woke up.

* * *

With a loud shriek, Madeline sat up straight off the hard stone floor. Someone grabbed a hold of her, and she found herself struggling against the strong arms of her captor.

"Madeline!" she heard a very familiar voice shout. "Madeline, it's me! Stop fighting!"

She opened her eyes completely, blinking furiously. Her eyes darted about frantically, searching for anything or anyone. Finally, they alighted on Ardeth's concerned face.

"Madeline?" he asked.

She let out a shaky, yet relieved sigh. "Ardeth."

"Are you all right?"

She nodded, although her eyes felt wet and prickly. "Uh-huh," she stuttered.

Madeline took in the world around her. Ardeth must have lit several torches while she was passed out. They were inside a small stone chamber, a single empty altar in the center, the dim light from the torches casting flickering shadows around the already creepy room. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering with cold. Her hair was dripping with rainwater and her dress and jacket were soaked all the way through. The fire from the torches directly in front of her provided very welcome warmth – and yet, it wasn't enough.

She looked back at Ardeth. The man was drenched; his robes so wet they were clinging to his body and water was practically rolling off his shiny black locks. He stared at her, and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "What did you see?" he asked, still sounding concerned.

Madeline took a deep breath, shrugging. "Just… just Nitocris' kids building her temple and altar. They went into the Valley of the Kings. There's a hidden cave. The daughter pressed a spot on a cliff and it opened up. That's all."

"That's all?"

Madeline nodded.

He continued to stare at her. "Then why did you wake up screaming?"

That was a question Madeline had expected, and yet wasn't entirely prepared for. "I just… I don't know. You surprised me, that's all."

"You screamed before I grabbed you."

"I did?"

"You did."

He wasn't moving on this. He was going to keep pestering her until he got the truth out of her. Wow. He was _really_ annoying.

"Well… ok, so in my vision, it showed me going to the temple in the cliff and being sacrificed… no big deal, really, the mummy bit me and sucked my blood and all that stupid shit… I was just… it freaked me out a little. That's all."

Still he stared at her. Madeline shifted uncomfortably under his gaze – again. "What?"

Nothing. No response. Ardeth started helping her out of her jacket. "We'll stay here for the night," he said quietly. "See if the storm lets up."

"It's not over yet? But usually the phases…"

Ardeth shrugged. "It's still going, and strong."

There was a short silence.

"So… where is _here_ anyway?" Madeline asked.

"This is the chamber the necklace was in," Ardeth murmured, glancing around. "It is hidden to all but the Med-jai."

Madeline let him take her sopping jacket and hang it up near one of the flaming torches. As she watched, he shrugged out of his own soaking wet robes and hung them up as well.

"You should take off the dress," he murmured without meeting her eyes. "It's soaked through. I'll hang it up…"

"You want me to _what_?"

"You don't want to catch cold."

"Um… but I'm not… this is all I…"

"I brought a blanket."

He reached inside the bag he'd been carrying around and brought out the blanket. "Isn't that wet too?" Madeline asked uncertainly.

"Surprisingly, no."

She stared at him. His chest was bare, his hair was wet and tangled, his pants were dusty… he'd taken off his boots and deposited them by one of the torches. He tossed the blanket at her. She slowly took off the dress and handed it to him. Ardeth made a show of not looking at her as he turned to hang the dress up by a torch. Madeline quickly drew the blanket around her bare chest.

Ardeth sat beside her on the ground. Her hair was dripping and her body was shaking. She was freezing her ass off. A spared glance at Ardeth confirmed that he too was cold. He was shivering slightly, but trying hard not to show it.

But Madeline was not fooled. She _was_, however, a little freaked out – the last time she'd been cold in Egypt had been, well… never – not to mention, that last vision had been rather frightening in itself.

He slouched against the wall, moving about uncomfortably. Madeline tossed him a corner of the blanket. "Here," she murmured, her voice rather unsteady. "You look cold."

He nodded, accepting the proffered blanket. "Thank you."

They were quiet. Ardeth wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side. "You're shaking," he said.

"I'm ok," she whispered.

Her eyelids felt heavy. "We should get some rest," Ardeth murmured.

Madeline nodded, closing her eyes and laying her head on his chest. She felt his hand traveling up and down her back. His touch was very distracting. She couldn't sleep with him stroking her bare skin like that. Not to mention, her chest was pressed up against him, and that had to be distracting for both of them.

Ardeth's arm snaked underneath her knees and he lifted her legs into his lap. Madeline glanced up at him inquisitively, but he only tightened his hold on her, squeezing her against his bare chest.

She wanted to pull away – she did. But the chamber was cool, and she was shivering from the damp, and Ardeth's chest was dry and warm and comfortable. Exhaustion began to take her, closing her eyes against her will. Unable to stop herself, she yawned into Ardeth's chest. Again, he tightened his grip on her, his rough, unshaven chin nuzzling against her forehead, his breath disturbing her damp hair. His hand kept moving up and down her back, and she allowed herself to lean into his chest.

Too tired and cold to force herself out of this very unhealthy position – considering the circumstances – Madeline curled into Ardeth's body and let herself fall asleep.

* * *

Madeline had to pry her eyes open the following morning, feeling as though her lids were glued together. The chamber was darker than she remembered, the torches Ardeth had lit the night before having burned down considerably. She yawned, lifting her head off of Ardeth's chest and looking around. Ardeth was still asleep, clutching her against him, his head drooping on his shoulder.

She strained her ears, trying to hear whether or not the storm had stopped. To her disappointment, she could still hear rain bouncing off the stone temple. The wind, although considerably muffled, was still howling.

Slowly, she sat up off the ground, carefully disentangling herself from Ardeth's arms. He slumped heavily, still asleep. She crossed softly to where her dress was hanging and slid inside the still damp garment. A glance over at Ardeth confirmed that he was still out for the count. She draped the blanket back over him. Then she took her jacket down from the wall and wrapped it around her shoulders. The jacket, like her dress, was still damp.

Glancing at Ardeth one more time, Madeline turned and left the chamber. She padded down the long, stone hallway, stopping at the edge, where the temple opened up to the air. Sure enough, the rain was still coming down in sheets, and the wind was whipping around the tall, stone pillars. As she stood there, lightening filled the gray sky, and was quickly followed by a huge clap of thunder.

"What are you doing?"

Madeline jumped, crying out in alarm. She whirled around to find Ardeth standing behind her. He must have woken up immediately after she'd left the chamber, because he was dressed in his robes again, and he looked annoyed.

"Damn it," she hissed, breathing heavily. She shoved Ardeth's shoulder. "You just about scared me to death."

"You scared _me_," he returned. "I woke up and you were gone."

"Sorry."

"Why did you leave?"

"I just wanted to see if the storm was still going."

Ardeth looked up at the dark gray sky. "It is worse now," he murmured.

Madeline nodded, crossing her arms in front of her. Ardeth glanced out over the landscape, and then took hold of her shoulder, steering her back down the hall. "We'll eat something first," he murmured. "Then I suppose we'll have to head out in the storm."

She nodded again, having nothing else to contribute. Ardeth practically dragged her back to the chamber. The two of them sat there in silence, consuming their meager meal, and then Ardeth set about packing up the bag. Madeline leaned against the entrance to the hallway, waiting patiently for Ardeth to finish. Finally, he closed up the bag and approached her swiftly, grasping her arm as he passed her and ushering her down the hall. Madeline frowned at him as they walked. "You don't have to be so pushy about it," she announced.

He looked down at her, and she swore he looked regretful. "I'm sorry," he murmured, slowing down and loosening his grip on her arm. He did not, however, let go.

Madeline resigned herself to being chained to Ardeth by the wrist. The two of them stepped outside into the rain, and she immediately tied her jacket shut, hoping to keep her outfit from becoming too transparent. Already soaked and miserable within mere moments of stepping outside the temple, the two of them made their way towards the Valley of the Kings.

* * *

They'd been walking for thousands of years, Madeline was sure of it. The storm had waged on for their entire hike. Now that the millennia of walking had passed, Madeline and Ardeth had reached the cliff face that she'd seen in her vision.

She stopped in front of it. "Are we here?" Ardeth asked, struggling to be heard over the pounding rain.

Madeline nodded. "Yep. This is the place."

The two of them stood in front of the cliff in silence, staring at the rocky indentations that climbed all the way around and to the top. After a moment, Ardeth looked at her expectantly. Madeline caught his eye, took a deep breath, and nodded. Then she reached out and touched the cliff.

The cliff began to shake and groan, parting down the middle. Both Madeline and Ardeth stepped back from the cliff, watching in awe as it opened up to reveal the passageway from her vision.

Ardeth looked over at her as the cliff stopped moving and shaking. Madeline met his eyes. They stared at one another for a moment, and then Madeline tore her eyes away from him, returning her gaze to the passageway. She swallowed. This was it, she thought with more than a little apprehension. She was about to go marching off to her destruction.

A loud battle cry pierced through the moaning wind. Madeline and Ardeth started, glancing around in panic. Suddenly, charging out of the rain and dust came several dark masked men, swinging swords and toting guns. Beside her, Ardeth immediately pulled his scimitars and started swinging back. Madeline grabbed the Webley from where she'd tied it in her jacket and opened fire.

The masked men began to fall. Still, Madeline ran out of bullets far too quickly. The revolver was now next to useless, but the attack was still coming strong. Madeline was reduced to throwing punches. One man grabbed her around the waist, but she whipped her pistol into the side of his head, knocking him out stone cold. The two of them collapsed into the mud and Madeline quickly scrambled to her feet. Her fist made contact with another man's face.

"Madeline!" she heard Ardeth cry out.

Startled, she turned towards his voice, but never quite made it. An anonymous fist collided with her skull. Madeline stumbled, backing away from her attacker, and fell right on her ass. Her vision swam as mind-numbing pain began to spread from the impact point to the rest of her head.

She heard Ardeth cry her name again, and then she collapsed into the mud, losing consciousness completely.

* * *


	28. The Sacrifice

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to The-Lady-Isis, Nelle07, IllinoisRose, IKeepGoldFishInMyBra, idkaname, nightingaleraven, Anon, Ravenclaw Samurai, zentry, Jac Danvers, kaytieorndorff, Typhoid-Candy, Read4Ever, Misplaced Angel, Padme4000, and The Purple Wox for the reviews!

* * *

Chapter 28: The Sacrifice

The world was very blurry. Madeline squinted, her head aching, trying to force her eyes to focus. After blinking for what felt like eternity, she managed to clear her vision enough to see the stone ceiling hovering high above her head.

High stone ceiling? Oh, dear. Madeline tried to lift her head up. She failed. Her head was heavy and thumping with pain, and the slightest movement had caused her vision to blur all over again. Rather exasperated by this point, Madeline forced herself to lie still and blink a few times. Eventually, her vision returned. Trying her best to keep her head still, she took a look around her.

Tall painted pillars stretched from the stone floor to the matching ceiling. Colorful murals adorned the stone walls. Torches were lit near each pillar, and there were candles all around her, resting on the table she was laying on.

She was on a table? Madeline's stomach nearly leapt out of her throat. She supposed she couldn't blame her stomach for attempting to bail. This could mean one thing and one thing only: she was on the sacrificial altar in the center of Nitocris's secret cavern.

Fantastic.

Madeline slowly lifted her head, wincing all the way. Before her was a pair of tall, painted, hieroglyph-covered doors. That settled it. She was about to be sacrificed.

The chamber air was cool on her arms and feet. Madeline realized at once that both her jacket and her shoes were gone. Her hair and her dress were still damp. Fortunately, a glance down at her chest proved that, at the very least, her dress was no longer transparent.

She tried again to sit up. Her head pounded furiously, and Madeline gagged, sure she was going to be sick. Finally, after a whole lot of effort, Madeline managed to pull herself into a sitting position. Her head still hurt enough to affect her vision. She was incredibly nauseous. And she was so dizzy, that Madeline began to wonder if she'd still be conscious by the time the sacrificial ritual started.

Madeline moved her legs, trying to get comfortable on the hard stone altar. She was shocked when one leg resisted her. Frowning, Madeline jerked her leg again – only to find she was chained to the altar by her ankle.

A small, barely audible whimper escaped her lips. Really? Seriously? Was this a joke?

Clutching her aching head with one hand, Madeline surveyed the chamber a second time. Berkley's masked henchmen were huddled around the chamber walls in a circle. Luke and Lavernia were standing near the painted doors, having what looked like a very serious discussion. They hadn't noticed she was awake yet.

The more she looked around the chamber, the more nauseous she began to feel. Where the hell was Ardeth?

The last thing she remembered was him crying out her name – presumably in warning, as immediately after that some big burly henchmen had punched her so hard in the head that she'd passed out. She'd like to get her hands on that particular henchman – she was currently nursing a headache nearly as bad as the ones that accompanied her visions, and she was pretty sure she had a serious concussion. It was all she could do to keep sitting, squinting against the dim light, and glancing around in search of the Med-jai chieftain.

Had they killed him? Madeline's stomach twisted viciously, its contents threatening to come back up. She didn't see him, after all, and anything could have happened after she'd been knocked unconscious – especially if Ardeth had kept fighting. And he would have kept fighting.

Madeline detected movement out of the corner of her eye. Twisting her head in the direction of the motion, she saw one of the dark figures step forward, off the wall. Her stomach tried to escape through her mouth. The two men on either side of him yanked him back, but not before she saw his face. Ardeth was fine. For now.

"Yes, I see you've caught a glimpse of our guest of honor," Luke Berkley's voice echoed throughout the cavern.

Madeline swung her head around to look at the anthropologist. Berkley was swiftly approaching her altar, his sister two steps behind him.

"I considered killing the chieftain straight off," Berkley went on, moving his hands about flamboyantly. "After all, when I stumbled into the compartment you two had been sharing, I _was_ rather put out to find both you and Mr. Bay long gone, and my younger brother dead on the floor. I mean, really. Can you blame me for wanting revenge?"

Madeline glowered at Berkley as he came to a stop directly in front of her. "But I decided the ultimate revenge against our visiting Med-jai chieftain," Berkley continued, grinning nastily. "Would be to watch Mistress Maddie die a long, slow, painful death… and then witness the end of the world – an end he'd been trying so hard to stop."

He rested his hand on her calf. She tried to yank her leg away from him, but the chain around her ankle prevented her from doing so. He smirked at her, patting her leg mockingly. "Now, now, Maddie my dear," he purred. "You don't seem excited. Why aren't you excited, darling? Stage-fright, perhaps?"

"Go to Hell, you psychotic freak," Madeline replied in a dry, rasping voice.

"Oh, my." Berkley's hand fluttered and rested on his chest, his face contorted with mock-horror. "Well, that hurts my feelings."

Lavernia was standing just behind her brother, glaring at Madeline. She shifted uncomfortably under the female Berkley's glower. At the moment, Lavernia was much scarier than Luke. "What are you looking at?" Madeline snapped, still rasping.

Before the other woman could reply, Berkley intervened. "Oh, now, Lavernia, stop skulking around like a half-starved dog. I realize you _are_ half-starved, but that doesn't mean you have to be surly. It's hardly attractive."

Madeline decided that if Berkley could see the look his sister had given him behind his back, he wouldn't have been quite so cocky. Never before had Lavernia Berkley looked so ugly or so deadly. If she hadn't already been promised to the ancient queen, Madeline would have been worrying _Lavernia_ was going to murder her.

"Now," Berkley announced, turning to face the entire congregation. "The time has come, my friends! Prepare to witness the most beautiful, most cunning, most deadly woman in the entire world… for the first time in thousands of years."

Madeline stared at the tall, painted doors with huge eyes. Luke bowed his head and stretched out his arms. Then, in a low guttural voice, he began chanting an ancient language that Madeline didn't understand.

Lavernia bowed her head as well, adding her alto-soprano tones to Berkley's voice. Slowly, the rest of the congregation joined in. The low, ethereal chanting bounced off the walls and filled the cavern, transforming the cave into some twisted version of a cathedral. Panicked, Madeline glanced over her shoulder at Ardeth, who was still standing in the shadows. She wouldn't know him, except that out of countless bowed heads, his was the only one held high and proud.

It wouldn't work. She wasn't afraid for the world – according to Evie, the world was saved. But once Nitocris had been returned to her grave, the Berkleys would be far from happy. If the ceremony didn't kill Madeline, Berkley would, this she was sure of. But worse than that, far worse than that… Ardeth would be killed, horribly, violently… and there would be nothing she could do to stop it.

The chanting continued. As Madeline sat on the stone platform, breathing heavily and watching the wall opposite her, light began to glimmer all around the outside of the painted doors. Suddenly, the doors swung wide open.

Smoke filled the brightly lit room, and that smoke began to filter into the cavern. A dark, shadowy form appeared in the center of the light and smoke, and then stepped forward, over the threshold, and into the cavern.

Madeline shrunk back from the approaching form, her eyes wide and horrified. The chain around her ankle kept her from moving more than a few inches. The form – or, as Madeline knew it, the gray, rotten, charred and twisted mummy of the long dead Pharaoh Nitocris – continued its slow but purposeful march towards her.

The chanting faded away. Instead, a low, awed murmuring rippled throughout the congregation. Lavernia uttered a quiet cry, clasping her hands over her mouth. Berkley grinned.

Madeline's eyes grew wider with every step the mummy took. Finally, Nitocris reached the altar and stopped, her empty eyes boring into Madeline's, as though the pharaoh could actually see her. Madeline's lower lip trembled. The mummy's mouth parted very slightly, and she hissed something in ancient Egyptian.

Then Nitocris grasped Madeline's arms, her bony brittle fingers digging deep into Madeline's skin. Nitocris yanked Madeline towards her, and then sunk her surprisingly sharp teeth deep into Madeline's exposed neck.

Madeline cried out in pain. She felt the mummy's cold dead mouth against her skin, the teeth digging into her flesh. Nitocris was sucking on her neck, and Madeline could feel her blood being slowly suctioned from her veins.

She struggled against the mummy's tight grip, trying to break free of her supernaturally strong arms or her vise-like jaws, succeeding in neither venture. Already dizzy from before, Madeline felt her head growing even lighter as she lost blood.

The room began to fade away. Madeline blinked rapidly, her struggles growing weaker and weaker, as Nitocris continued to drain her fluids.

A sudden muffled, gargling cry escaped the mummy's throat. Nitocris instantly released Madeline, roughly shoving her away. Madeline crumpled in a pile on the altar as the ancient queen stumbled back and froze. Her head twisted mechanically towards the Berkley siblings. A rush of angry Egyptian flowed forth from her mouth.

The grin faded from Berkley's face. Lavernia's hands rose to cover her wide open mouth, her eyes huge and horrified. Suddenly, the angry queen stopped mid sentence. She choked. Her charred and twisted arms clutched her bandaged abdomen.

"No!" Berkley shouted.

Madeline raised herself up on one elbow, trying desperately to clear her head. As she squinted at the choking mummy, Nitocris fell to her knees, coughing furiously. Madeline felt sick as she watched her own blood burble up out of Nitocris' mouth.

"No!" Berkley shouted again. "No! It is impossible!"

Nitocris crumpled to the ground, still choking on Madeline's blood. Then, suddenly, with a loud, horrible shriek, the mummy burst into tall, wild flames.

Berkley cried out, sounding pained. He grabbed a nearby pillar for support.

The cavern fell silent, save for the crackling of the flames. The fire burned strong for several minutes, and then slowly began to die.

Madeline felt the clasp on the necklace give way against the bare skin on the back of her neck. The cold metal slid off her neck and down the front of her chest. Finally, the heavy golden necklace landed with a loud _clink!_ on the hard stone altar.

There was a long, awful silence.

"No!" Berkley thundered yet again, letting go of the pillar. He rounded on Madeline and marched towards the altar. "You! You… you… lying…"

The whole cavern began to groan and shake. Madeline looked up at the ceiling through hazy eyes, feeling vague horror as she watched tiny rocks shake loose from their foundations, sliding down the cavern walls. All around her, Berkley's henchmen were crying out in various languages, their running footsteps echoing throughout the cave.

"You lying… _whore_!"

Madeline looked up just in time for her cheek to meet Berkley's knuckles as he backhanded her across her face. She cried out, falling on her side. Tossing her hair out of her face, Madeline looked up to see Berkley standing over her, a knife held in one hand, disgust twisting his mouth into an ugly sneer and a crazy, dangerous gleam to his cold gray eyes.

"You lied to me!" he thundered. "You _lied_, and look what has come of it! You… you… _whore_!"

He raised his hand high in the air, his lips pulled back and his eyes wide. His expression was murderous. "Who was it? The Med-jai? Are you the Med-jai's whore? You… you've killed our queen! Our _mother_!"

"She wasn't your mother," Madeline replied quietly, against her better judgement.

The knife plunged towards her chest. Madeline quickly backed away – only to be jerked back by the chain around her ankle.

Suddenly, a dark and tattooed hand caught Berkley's thin, neatly cuffed wrist. Ardeth yanked the anthropologist's hand back towards him. In his free hand, one of the long, curved scimitars glinted in the torchlight.

The chamber was still shaking and Berkley's men were rushing for the exits. Ardeth gave Berkley a vicious shove, sending the Englishman stumbling backwards. Berkley glowered up at the Med-jai chieftain, fingering his knife impatiently. Ardeth leveled his sword at his opponent and beckoned him mockingly with the other hand.

Berkley roared and rushed the warrior. Ardeth blocked the anthropologist's knife with his scimitar and advanced on the other man, forcing him to retreat. Berkley tried again with his knife, but Ardeth's sword knocked the smaller weapon out of his hand. The anthropologist was not subdued. He ran at the Med-jai chieftain, tackling him hard in the stomach. Ardeth stumbled backwards and fell to the floor.

The walls shook harder. Larger and larger rocks fell from the ceiling as Ardeth and Berkley rolled about on the floor, struggling against one another, fighting for control over the scimitar. A particularly large rock tumbled down from above and nearly landed on top of Berkley's head. The anthropologist rolled out of the way just in time, freeing Ardeth from his grip. Ardeth leapt to his feet and rushed towards Berkley, sword at the ready, hollering a Med-jai death cry.

Berkley dodged the other man's charge at the exact right moment. Ardeth staggered to a stop and rounded on Berkley, swinging his sword at his gut. Berkley danced away, making a mad leap for his fallen knife. Ardeth stuck out his foot and tripped the man, sending the anthropologist sprawling to the ground. Berkley stumbled back to his feet just as Ardeth stepped forward and, mere inches from the other man's torso, drove his sword deep into Berkley's stomach.

Berkley coughed, staggering forwards. Ardeth withdrew his sword. The other man fell to his knees, and then slumped to his side. He twitched twice, and then lay still.

Ardeth turned from the fallen man and brought his sword down hard on the chain that bound Madeline's ankle to the stone altar, cleaving apart the two center chain links. She was free.

Huge rocks were tumbling down around them on all sides now. Madeline felt a bubbling in her stomach as their ever-worsening situation began to incite panic. Ardeth grasped her wrist firmly, pulling her off the altar and into his chest. Madeline stumbled, unable to stand. Between the blow to the head and the blood loss, she considered herself lucky to still be conscious.

Ardeth dragged her towards the exit. Madeline leaned heavily on his arm, tripping over her feet. She wasn't going to make it out of there still standing, this much was obvious. As they ran, the rocks falling in the passageway grew larger and fell at a more rapid pace. Before they could reach the main passage, the entrance collapsed, obstructing their only exit.

Ardeth spat something in Arabic that Madeline would have bet any money had been a cuss word. He glanced back in the direction they had come from. The painted doors were still standing wide open. Ardeth looked at her. Breathing heavily, her full weight leaning against him, Madeline stared back into his eyes.

He grabbed her around the waist and swung his arm under her knees, lifting her off the ground and then rushing towards the double doors.

The room on the other side of the painted doors was smoky, and now it was dusty too, thanks to the crumbling cavern. The intense light came from large holes at the top of the tall chamber that allowed the bright sun to shine inside. Madeline's tense limbs went lax with relief when she spotted a long passageway at the far end of the room.

Ardeth raced towards the passageway, narrowly missing a falling rock as he ducked inside. He ran down the long winding stone canal, dodging the plummeting rocks, and then rounded a corner, revealing a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Madeline felt rather stupid being carried down the passageway towards the bright light, but she supposed there wasn't much she could do about it. She stared hopefully at the exit as Ardeth rushed towards it. The rocks were falling faster now, and Madeline feared that this exit would be obstructed much like the first.

They burst out into the open air and sunlight. Madeline looked around her in disbelief. They were standing on a high ledge, overlooking the Valley of the Kings. There was a long pathway that winded its way down into the valley. Behind them, the passageway was filling up with loose rocks.

Ardeth let her down, and she stumbled, grabbing hold of his shoulder. He hunched over, panting heavily, holding himself up by grabbing his knee with one hand. His other arm remained wrapped around her waist. Madeline stared up at Ardeth, her eyes wide with shock. He looked back at her, still catching his breath, his expression equally surprised. But before either of them could speak, the ledge began to shake as hard as the cavern had.

Immediately, Ardeth swung her back up into his arms and hurried towards the path. They had barely started down it when the ledge and the path leading into the valley began to crumble away. Ardeth picked up his speed, but the rocks fell faster than he could run, and suddenly the pathway was falling down to the earth below, taking the two of them with it.

Madeline dropped from his arms, and the two of them toppled down the collapsing incline. Rocks fell all around them, some missing them, and others hitting their arms and legs and torsos as they rolled their way down to the valley. After a long, painful tumble, both Madeline and Ardeth landed in a heap on the valley floor.

For a few moments, they lay still in the dust. The rest of the ledge finished crumbling down around them. Then, after a moment, Madeline forced herself to roll over on her back, groaning the entire way.

"Ardeth?" she asked, her voice strained.

"I'm fine." His reply was muffled. "And you?"

"No worse than I was."

Slowly, Madeline pushed herself off the ground, trying to force herself into a sitting position. Her head spun and her stomach turned. She nearly fell over on her side, but Ardeth, who obviously had managed to sit up before she had, caught her, supporting her against his chest. He took hold of her chin, tilting her face towards his. Squinting against the painfully bright sun, Madeline stared up at him, their eyes meeting. Ardeth held her gaze. A slight frown creased his brow. He released her chin, his fingers brushing against her temple. She winced as he hit a sore spot. Ardeth's frown deepened. "That bruise is terrible," he murmured.

Madeline continued to stare at him. "I didn't know there was a bruise."

He brushed her hair back from her face. Madeline rested one hand on his shoulder, and then let it slowly creep up his neck. Ardeth seized the back of her skull and pulled her against him, his lips crashing down on top of hers. Madeline wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him for support, and at the same time pressing her own lips back against his. Their lips meshed against one another as they kissed furiously, Ardeth's tongue forcing its way through her lips and exploring the inside of her mouth.

Finally, they pulled away from one another. Breathless, Madeline clung to his shoulders, staring at him in anticipation, unsure of what happened next.

But nothing happened next – at least, not between the two of them. Suddenly, a gun cocked in Madeline's left ear, interrupting their moment. Both Madeline and Ardeth whirled around, looking for the source of the noise… and found Lavernia Berkley standing over them, two Colt pistols pointed at their heads. Her hands shook slightly as she aimed the weapons at her two enemies, but that didn't reassure Madeline in the least. Flanking the young blonde were six or seven armed henchmen, and their hands didn't suffer from the slightest tremor.

"You murdered my brothers," Lavernia whispered furiously, her eyes slanted in a cold glare. "Both of my brothers, you killed both of my brothers!"

Her voice rose with each word, taking on a hysterical pitch. "And you," she spat, aiming one of her pistols directly at Madeline's face. "You caused this. The collapse of the temple, the death of the pharaoh… you have ruined _everything_! I think I'll shoot you first."

Madeline's eyes widened as they took in the end of Lavernia's pistol. Ardeth suddenly shoved her behind him, shielding her from the irate and armed young woman. Lavernia laughed at the protective gesture. "What, Med-jai? If I want her, I'll have to go through you first? You killed my brothers in cold blood! The thought of killing you literally makes me salivate! So I kill you first, and her second! I don't bloody care about the order!! Both of you will be dead by the time I've finished!"

Her lip was trembling along with her hands now, and tears were welling up in her steely gray eyes. Madeline thought of several retorts that would have been apt responses to the other young woman's accusations. Reminding her that Luke and Charles Berkley were only dead because they'd tried to kill her and Ardeth, for example. Or even informing her that the resurrection of Nitocris would have ended the world, and that thousands of people would have died in cold blood, exactly like her brothers. But none of those retorts made it to her lips. Instead, Madeline stared silently down the barrel of the pistol pointed at her head, waiting for the bullet. Lavernia Berkley was the very picture of her angry, vengeful ancestor, and although she looked nothing like Nitocris, Madeline didn't have a hard time believing, in that moment, that Lavernia and Nitocris came from the same bloodline.

But before Lavernia could avenge the death of her brothers as Nitocris had avenged Merenre, the sound of numerous guns being cocked echoed throughout the valley. Madeline, Ardeth, Lavernia, and Lavernia's henchmen all looked up, startled, trying to find the owners of the guns.

All around the tops of the cliffs were several men in long black robes, sitting on horseback and aiming their guns down into the valley. Lavernia's men began to lower their weapons, murmuring nervously. They shuffled back a few steps, looking as though any moment they planned to make a break for it.

But Lavernia didn't look nearly as nervous. She tore her eyes from the newly arrived Med-jai and returned her gaze to Madeline and Ardeth. Her mouth curled upward in an ugly, determined sneer, and resolve conquered the tears brimming in her eyes. "So I die," she spat at them. "At least I know I took you two with me."

Another pistol cocked, right within their vicinity. Lavernia froze, her fingers having already tugged her triggers halfway back. Madeline looked up to find even more Med-jai congregating at the base of the cliffs, training their machine guns on Lavernia's congregation. Directly beside the young woman herself stood a slender young man with close cropped, curly brown hair, decked out in white linen.

"I beg your pardon, madam," Jonathan Carnahan announced, leveling his own pistol at Lavernia's head. "But I have to insist you step away from my best friend."

* * *


	29. The Reunion

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Thanks to The-Lady-Isis, pirate hero, SandraSmit19, Padme4000, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, benzene, idkaname, The Purple Wox, kaytieorndorff, Jac Danvers, nightingaleraven, Ravenclaw Samurai, Nelle07, IKeepGoldFishInMyBra, Typhoid-Candy, bones881, and zentry for the reviews! Last chapter up next, just give me another day or two!

* * *

Chapter 29: The Reunion

Chaos, Madeline decided. It was the only word to describe the scene in front of her. A bit cliché, perhaps, and rather melodramatic, of course, but still completely apt.

Lavernia froze for only a brief second after Jonathan had made his presence known. Then she yanked back the triggers on both her guns.

Jonathan had apparently been expecting that, because he pulled the trigger on his pistol almost simultaneously. All three guns went off, the sound reverberating off the towering cliffs. As the guns went off, Ardeth shoved Madeline to the ground and then threw himself on top of her.

Lavernia immediately slumped to the ground. The henchman nearest to her seemed to struggle between his instinct to run and his duty to avenge the young woman lying facedown in the dirt. He decided to take the nobler route, but made the decision two seconds too late. A loud, high pitched warrior's cry echoed throughout the valley, and then pretty, petite Nasira Bay rushed forward, swinging her sword. The henchman suddenly became too preoccupied to wreak vengeance on Jonathan Carnahan.

The rest of Lavernia Berkley's men bolted. Yasir Bay screamed out an order in Arabic, and about half the Med-jai in the valley opened fire, while the other half advanced on their opponents with their swords drawn.

While the Med-jai fought the Berkley henchmen, preventing their escape, Jonathan knelt down beside the blonde woman on the ground and rolled her over - which turned out to be a mistake. He promptly gagged and turned away from her. "Oh, that's bloody disgusting."

Madeline tore her eyes from the all too still, glassy eyed Lavernia Berkley, whose right temple currently sported a brand new bullet hole, and stared up at Ardeth in panic. "Are you all right?" she practically shouted at him. "Did she hit you?"

He shook his head, getting back up on his knees. "I am fine," he insisted, pulling her up, off her back. "You?"

She nodded quickly, and then returned her attention to Jonathan. He was ducking flying bullets, crawling closer to her and Ardeth. The three of them scooted as close to the cliff face as they could get. Then, as the three of them sat there, catching their breath, Jonathan threw his arms around Madeline and gave her a huge hug.

Madeline hugged him back, surprised but not disgruntled. "Bloody hell, Maddie!" he shouted. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" she replied, pulling back to look him in the eye. "Nice shot, Jonathan!"

"I do what I can," he returned with a smirk. The smirk faded into a frown. "Where the hell did that bruise come from? And..." His frown deepened. "What's that on your neck? Is that a bloody bite mark?"

Before Madeline could answer either of his questions, there was a loud, wet grunt two feet away from them, and then one of Lavernia's henchmen hit the ground with a heavy thump. Nasira Bay withdrew her bloody sword from the man's torso, wiped it on her robes, and then rushed over to the other three, kneeling down in the dirt. "Ardeth!" she shouted, throwing her arms around his neck.

Ardeth hugged his little sister back, a smile spreading across his face. "Excellent form, little sister."

Nasira pulled out of the hug and smiled up at her older brother. "I was so worried," she told him. "We all were, about both of you. Yasir, Jonathan… the O'Connells." She turned to Jonathan and Madeline. "Your brother reminds me very much of you," she informed Madeline.

Madeline groaned, rolling her eyes. "Please don't say that."

Nasira disentangled herself completely from her older brother and hugged Madeline instead. "I'm very glad to see you aren't dead."

"Right back at you."

The battle that had broken out in the valley was now coming to a close. The Med-jai warriors had subdued the Berkleys' henchmen, and Yasir was issuing orders in Arabic, telling the warriors what to do with their prisoners. Three of the Med-jai circled around Lavernia's body, covering her with a dark cloth.

Ardeth got to his feet. "I must see to the prisoners," he announced.

Madeline watched him walk towards Yasir, calling his brother's name. The two brothers hugged one another briefly, and then immediately entered into serious discussion.

She sighed. The resurrection had failed, the Berkleys were dead, their henchmen were being round up, and she had miraculously survived. It should have been a happy occasion – and it was – but in so many other ways, it was not. Already, Ardeth was returning to the Med-jai, to his duties… and that meant he was moving farther away from her. She had expected that, and deep down knew it was right, but that didn't make it any less painful.

"Where the hell is my sister?!"

The loud, irate, impatient question startled Madeline, Jonathan, and Nasira, and all three of them raised their heads, searching for the speaker. Rick O'Connell was on horseback, riding into the middle of the Med-jai crowded in the valley. Directly behind him, also on horseback, was his wife. Fortunately, their little boy was nowhere to be seen. Madeline took that to mean her brother had done the smart thing, and left Alex in London with a nanny.

"Over here, O'Connell!" Jonathan cried out, waving to Rick. "Don't get your panties in a twist!"

Both he and Nasira dragged themselves to their feet as Rick and Evie galloped over to the small group. Madeline forced herself to sit upright, but decided that trying to stand would be pushing her luck. Not to mention, the sand was very hot, and she was still missing her shoes.

"Maddie!" Rick exclaimed, jumping down from his horse. He pushed Jonathan out of his way and marched to where she was sitting, coming to a stop directly in front of her. For one brief moment, Madeline thought he was going to hug her – but instead, he just stood there, frowning at her, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. He didn't even say anything.

Evie, on the other hand, dismounted and rushed to Madeline's side, brushing past her husband and throwing herself on her knees. Before Madeline knew what was happening, Evie had pulled her into a tight, suffocating, almost motherly hug. "Oh, Madeline, it's so good to see you!" she cried, kissing her on the cheek.

Madeline frowned, awkwardly returning her sister-in-law's hug. Over Evie's shoulder, she managed to catch Jonathan's eye and ask silently, 'Why the hell is she hugging me?'

Jonathan shrugged. Evie finally let go and sat back on her knees, smiling happily. "Rick almost killed Ardeth's younger brother, the poor man," she announced, laughing a little. "When Jonathan and Nasira told us what happened, he rather lost his mind. I was worried too, of course." Her smile faded. "When I think what could have happened…!"

"Well, it didn't," Madeline interrupted, mustering up a smile for her sister-in-law. "So don't think about it. It's pointless. I'm just glad to see both of you. Trust me, after what just went down… kind of didn't think I was ever going to see _any_ of you again."

"Oh, don't say that," Nasira cut in, shuddering. "I don't even want to think that."

Madeline gave her a small smile as well. "So, uh… I don't suppose any of you brought… shoes."

Evie looked down at Madeline's bare feet and crumpled up her nose and eyebrows. "Oh, dear," she murmured. "No, I'm afraid we didn't."

"That's ok," Madeline assured her. "Didn't think so."

Evie patted her on the shoulder and forced a smile. "I'll see if I can't… figure something out."

She got to her feet and hurried over to her abandoned horse, where she began digging furiously through her saddlebag.

Madeline looked up at her older brother. Jonathan and Nasira had moved off to the side, watching the Med-jai clean up the scene of the now finished battle, and her and her brother were now, for all intents and purposes, alone.

For a moment, the two of them stared at one another in silence. Then Madeline rolled her eyes. "Oh, would you just hug me already?" she snapped. "Then we can get the awkward mushy-gushy reunion crap out of the way, and you'll be free to scream at me. Sound good?"

Rick frowned at her first, and then offered a sarcastic little half smile. "Why aren't you getting off the ground?"

"Uh, hello? I have no shoes?" Madeline retorted. "In case you haven't noticed, Rick, we're in the middle of freaking Egypt here. Sand gets kind of hot."

"Ah. I see," Rick replied, nodding in a slow, patronizing manner. "So the concussion that resulted from however the hell you got that bruise, and the blood loss that you suffered due to the bite mark on your neck have… nothing to do with it."

"Nothing at all," Madeline said innocently.

He grinned. "I missed you, kid."

"I missed you too," she admitted. "Didn't miss you calling me kid, though."

Rick bent down and wrapped her up in a bone-crushing bear hug, rocking her from side to side like he was wrestling an alligator. "Don't. Ever. Almost die. Without telling me. Ever. Again."

Madeline hugged him back. "Fine. Deal."

They separated, and he gave her a rough shove in the shoulder. Madeline winced, almost falling on her side. "Sorry," he said, with a slight chuckle and a sheepish grin.

She glared at him. "I wish I believed you."

Two pairs of dust stained boots came to a stop in front her, black robes flowing behind them. Madeline looked up to find both Ardeth and Yasir standing beside her older brother.

"The prisoners will be placed under the protection of Chief Abdul-Sattar," Ardeth announced.

"Oh, yeah. I met him," Rick said. "Fought along side him on top of the cliffs. We had quite a few of the _smarter_ henchmen to strike down up there. You know, the ones who _didn't_ follow after the crazy bitch."

"He mentioned you as well," Ardeth returned. "I believe his exact words were, 'O'Connell is not bad… for an obnoxious, trigger happy cowboy.'"

Rick grinned. "Yeah, that sounds like Abdul."

"You're on a first name basis?" Madeline asked, smirking. "Wow, Rick. Way to make friends."

Rick made a face at her. "I am glad to see the resurrection was stopped," Yasir put in. Madeline didn't care for the look he was giving her. It suddenly dawned on her that while her older brother had been spared all the dirty details of exactly _how_ Madeline and Ardeth had saved the world, perhaps Yasir hadn't been extended the same courtesy. "Whatever the cost might have been."

"Knocking off a few evil henchmen?" Rick asked, giving his sister a wink. "If that's the cost, I don't think we paid much. In fact, I think _we're_ the ones who got paid."

Madeline raised her eyebrow at her older brother, trying not to laugh. Yasir didn't seem at all amused. "Of course, there was a much easier way to solve all this, if I remember correctly," he pressed on, giving her a dark look. "The honorable thing for you to have done _would_ have been…"

"Hey!" Rick snapped, cutting Yasir off. "Lay off my little sister, all right? Or I'll kill you." He gave Yasir a tiny little smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I must ask that _you_ lay off my little brother, O'Connell," Ardeth returned, although there was no edge to his words. "I am afraid I can't let you kill him."

"Right. Sorry. Well, maybe I could just rough him up a little?"

"That I might allow," Ardeth said, raising his eyebrow at Yasir. Yasir bowed his head, understanding his brother's meaning at once. "Yasir, I wonder if you'd be so kind as to oversee the transfer of prisoners from our men to Abdul's."

Yasir nodded. "Yes, brother."

He took off across the valley to meet up with a middle-aged Med-jai man who was calling out commands to the rest of the warriors. Madeline assumed the middle-aged man was this Chief Abdul-Sattar that everyone kept going on about.

Ardeth turned to address Madeline. "My brother was kind enough to bring along my horse in hopes that we would be reunited," he announced. "Unfortunately, it did not occur to him to bring a second animal for you, and so there is no horse for you to ride."

Ardeth seemed mildly irritated at his younger brother as he explained the situation. Madeline smirked up at him and shrugged. "Probably thought I'd be dead," she said.

"That _was_ his excuse," Ardeth replied.

"Ardeth, don't take this the wrong way or anything," Rick put in. "But I don't think I like your brother."

Ardeth's patented 'almost smile' creased his face. "At the moment, I'm not sure I do either." Saying that, he stepped closer to Madeline and lifted her off the ground, into his arms. "You will ride with me."

"Why are you carrying me?" she demanded.

"Because, as Evelyn was kind enough to remind me, you have no shoes," he replied.

"Oh," Madeline said, her frown fading.

Ardeth smiled slightly. "Besides, even if you did have shoes, could you _really_ have walked?"

"Yes," Madeline replied immediately, obviously affronted. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Shut up," she added.

"You know, Ardeth, you don't really have to do that," Rick spoke up. Madeline glanced over at her older brother and was mildly amused to see a small, confused frown knitting his eyebrows together. "I can carry Maddie. She can ride with me. She is my sister, after all. You don't have to bother with all this."

"It is no bother," Ardeth returned. "In these past couple of weeks, I have grown accustomed to carrying your sister around. I am quite used to it – it would seem unnatural any other way."

Madeline was a little insulted. "I beg your pardon?"

He didn't reply, and he said nothing more to Rick. He simply carried her over to his horse and plopped her onto the saddle. Feeling dizzy, Madeline grabbed hold of the saddle horn, blinking furiously.

Ardeth pulled something out of his saddlebag, and then mounted the horse just behind her. "This will keep off the sun," he informed her, draping a thin black robe around her shoulders.

"Nice," she replied. She winced at the fatigue in her voice. "You carry around extra robes. Got any shoes in there by chance?"

He chuckled. "I'm afraid not."

"Figures," she grumbled.

Looking around her, she saw Jonathan mounting his own horse, cussing at it as he did so. Rick was hopping into his saddle as well, but without the cussing and flailing about. Nasira was already seated astride her horse and try as Madeline might to catch her eye, she would not look in Madeline's direction.

The same could not be said for Evie. Sitting happily on her ride, Evie grinned at Madeline and gave her a tiny wink.

Madeline felt herself blush about ten different shades of red. Really? _This_ was Evie's way of 'figuring something out?' Getting Ardeth to cart her around and share his horse with her was hardly the same thing as finding her a pair of shoes.

Damn it. Evelyn thought her and Ardeth were… something more than friends, that much was obvious. And maybe they were. But she didn't plan on that lasting very long. And she didn't want the whole world to know about it.

Ardeth called out in Arabic, commanding his warriors to ride out. All his men, Jonathan, Rick, Evie, and Nasira included, kicked their horses into gear and took off.

Madeline tried to ignore the arm Ardeth wrapped around her waist as he prodded his own horse along with the others, holding the reins in one hand. "Are you tired?" he asked. "Dizzy?"

She was both of those things, but she wasn't about to admit it. "I'm fine," she said quietly. "You don't have to worry about me."

He was quiet for a moment. "That remains to be seen," he said finally.

Suddenly, Madeline felt incredibly uncomfortable. This was just so not a good plan. She was going to have to ride all the way back to Cairo seated on the same horse as Ardeth. There was way too much that needed to be said and yet remained unspoken between the two of them at this moment for them to be in such close quarters for such a long period of time. And they couldn't exactly address any of those unspoken things while riding the same horse, not unless they wanted to make the return to Cairo even more awkward than it already was.

Madeline wasn't sure how Ardeth felt about all this, but she knew how she felt about it. The danger was past, she was slowly coming down off the adrenaline, and yet she felt exactly the same way about Ardeth as she had back in the cavern. Not just in the cavern – back at the mastaba in Meydum, back in the Meydum motel room, back when they'd been Berkley's prisoners, when they'd been drunk at the halfway point between Memphis and Dahshur… she still loved him. She wasn't sure why she'd thought she wouldn't. Maybe it hadn't been a thought. Maybe it had been a hope.

Was it feasible to expect him to still love her? Or had the adrenaline worn off for him too, and he was now rationalizing the situation, realizing how impossible it was for them to continue what they'd started. He had to be, whether he still loved her or not. She certainly was.

But what if he didn't? What if he was drawing different conclusions, more hopeful conclusions… she'd just have to refuse, that was all. She'd have to… this couldn't, _wouldn't _work. That much she was sure of. And in all likelihood, it was ridiculous to even be thinking about any of this right now, because Ardeth was probably sure of it too.

Madeline sighed. Her life was always so freaking complicated. Even in the throes of victory, there had to be a downside.

"Are you all right?" Ardeth asked her suddenly. He must have heard her sigh.

She nodded. "Just tired," she replied. It wasn't exactly a lie. She _was_ tired. Her fatigue just wasn't the only thing bothering her.

"You can lean against me, you know," he said. "Get some sleep."

She had been very careful not to touch his chest with her back. Of course he would notice that. She was being rather ridiculous about it. Madeline nodded again and leaned into him.

Immediately, she regretted it. He was warm and comfortable – his touch was relaxing and yet very… stimulating, she supposed was the right word. Or it was close to the right word. A very dangerous thought danced across her mind – the thought that she could get used to this…

He tightened his grip on her waist. Madeline wished he hadn't. It was a strange feeling – wanting him to hold her, and yet wishing he'd let go.

* * *

Madeline sat down in the dirt, tucking her legs underneath her, and tugging Ardeth's spare robe tighter around her shoulders as she stared into the campfire.

She hadn't been able to sleep. It hadn't seemed to be a problem on the horse – despite the zillions of thoughts running through her head, exhaustion had taken over and she'd fallen asleep against Ardeth's chest during the journey. The nap was probably the reason she couldn't sleep now.

They hadn't yet reached Cairo. Night had fallen, and they had stopped to take a short rest. They'd leave early in the morning, long before sunrise. She was sure she'd be exhausted during tomorrow's ride, just like she'd been today, since she hadn't slept at all.

Sighing, she picked up a stick and starting poking at the fire out of sheer boredom. There was no one up and about right now, except for two Med-jai warriors who were patrolling the outskirts of the hurriedly made campsite, on the lookout for trouble. When she'd first stepped outside and seated herself by the fire, they'd nodded politely to her. Now they ignored her.

Madeline watched the hot orange sparks that exploded from the burning logs as she poked at them with her stick. For some reason, she started thinking about Lavernia Berkley. She had seen dead bodies before – lots of dead bodies, actually, many of which had fallen by her own hand – and she'd never really been bothered by the sight. But for some reason, she couldn't get out of her mind the image of Lavernia lying on her back in the dirt, with her eyes wide open and glazed over, too still and leaking brain out the side of her head.

"And why the bloody hell aren't you sleeping, old girl?"

Madeline jumped. Jonathan had somehow plopped down in the dirt beside her without her noticing. "Can't," she replied. "Why the hell aren't _you_ sleeping?"

"Can't," he said, smirking. Madeline smirked back. "So you decided to sit here and poke at the fire?"

She shrugged. "More or less."

They were silent for a moment. Jonathan drew in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly, pushing out his pursed lips like a tea kettle's spout. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Madeline raised her eyebrow at him. "You, dearest. Of course. Who else would I be thinking of?"

Jonathan rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, very funny. Now really, what are you thinking about? You've got one of those unnatural and serious expressions on your face."

She chuckled. "Oh, I don't know," she sighed. "Lavernia Berkley."

Jonathan apparently hadn't been expecting that response, because he leaned back and frowned at her incredulously. "And why the bloody hell are you thinking about that loony old bat?"

"She wasn't old, Jonathan," Madeline pointed out. "I don't know why I was thinking about her, I just… you know, Nitocris wasn't exactly a bad person. She got a lot of flack for this whole resurrection thing, but… well, I know her return would have been bad. Whatever the Berkleys thought they were bringing back wasn't her anymore. But the _real_ Nitocris, the one who lived thousands of years ago… she wasn't half bad. I mean, she was tough as nails! She took the throne after her brother, avenged his death… committed suicide, I don't know if that was so admirable, but… all she wanted was to get back at the people who murdered her brother. And that's all Lavernia wanted in the end. To get back at the people who murdered Luke and Charles. I mean, if someone killed Rick, I'd… I'd have done the same thing."

There was a long silence. "Maybe," Jonathan said finally. "You know, except for the whole buckets of crazy thing."

"Well, yes, in the beginning."

"And the pure evil part."

"She wasn't really evil, Jonathan. I talked to her. She really thought she was doing the right thing. So, yes, completely crazy, but evil? I don't know."

There was another long silence. "Are you trying to say I shouldn't have killed her?" Jonathan asked.

Madeline snorted. "No. If I have to choose between her dead and me dead, I choose her dead, thank you very much. All I was trying to say is that, well… I can kind of relate to her and Nitocris, that's all."

They were quiet again. "Thank you, Jonathan," Madeline said, her voice low. "You saved my life. And Ardeth's life. I don't know where we'd be without you."

He shrugged and grinned. "Dead?"

"Probably."

Jonathan began examining his fingernails. "Are you sure that's all you were thinking about?" he asked.

Madeline frowned at him. "What else would I be thinking about?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know… Ardeth, perhaps?"

Instantly, Madeline blushed. "And why would I be thinking about him?"

Jonathan snorted. "Really? Are you really asking me that question? Oh, I don't know, Maddie! Might have something to do with you two… shagging, or whatnot!"

"Shagging?" Madeline repeated, glaring at him. "Do you have to call it that?"

"Well, what am I supposed to call it? Him… picking your flower or something…"

"Ok, no," Madeline interrupted, shaking her head. "Definitely don't call it that. Ever. Shagging is fine, shagging works… please go back to calling it shagging."

Jonathan laughed out loud. Madeline glared at him again. He quickly composed himself, arranging his face into a somber expression. She didn't buy it for a moment. "In all seriousness, Maddie my dear, this… sleeping with Ardeth business… well, don't you want to talk about it?" When Madeline didn't reply, he leaned closer to her, giving her what he _thought_ was an endearing grin. He was wrong. "Not even with your bestest pal in the whole wide world?"

Madeline rolled her eyes. "No. No, I really don't."

"Are you sure? I mean, this whole thing has to be… confusing, or some other such nonsense."

"You're really good at this whole heart-to-heart thing, you know that?"

Jonathan sighed, exasperated. "I only meant that, well… you slept with Ardeth under… peculiar circumstances…"

"Yep. I saved the world by having premarital sex. There's got to be a moral in there somewhere."

"Oh, would you stop being such a smart ass? I'm trying to say something here! What happened between you and Ardeth happened under peculiar circumstances, but… well, if I remember correctly, you'd already slept with him before I told you that sleeping with him would, ultimately… save the world, or whatever."

Madeline made no reply.

"Maddie? You did, didn't you?"

She nodded mutely.

"Well, then… what exactly happened?"

Madeline rolled her eyes and looked in the opposite direction. "Do you really want to have this conversation?"

"Well, I don't know… but I rather think you do."

"No, I don't. Not even a little."

"Oh, bloody hell, Maddie…"

"Ok, fine!" she snapped. "You want to know what happened? I'll tell you what happened! I was sick, and he took care of me, and then we escaped and went back to Meydum, and he told me he was in love with me, and I stupidly said it back, and then we had sex, because we thought I was going to die! All right? Happy now?"

She buried her face in her hands, muffling an aggravated sigh. Jonathan sat next to her in silence, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, he murmured carefully, "And what now? Do you know?"

Madeline shook her head without looking up.

Jonathan patted her on the shoulder. "I'm sure that if he said he loved you he isn't going to run off into the desert without so much as a farewell," he said, forcing cheer into his voice. "After all, he's not me. I'd say anything to get a woman in bed – I rather fancy Ardeth's the sort of bloke who says anything to avoid it, so…"

"Oh, for Christ's sake, Jonathan," Madeline interrupted him, finally taking her face out of her hands. "Don't you get it? That's exactly what I'm afraid of – that he won't just disappear back into the desert. I told him I loved him because I thought I was going to die!"

"So you don't love him?"

"Of course I love him! That's not the point!"

He blinked. "Hell's teeth, Maddie. You just admitted to me that you love the Med-jai man."

Madeline rolled her eyes again.

"Well, I'm just saying! You've been insisting the opposite forever… wait, now. I'm a bit confused, old girl. So if you really do love him… what exactly _is_ the point?"

Madeline shrugged, staring glumly into the fire. "I can't be with him."

"Why the bloody hell not?"

She turned to him, her face incredulous. "Are you kidding me? Why not? How _could_ I be with him, Jonathan? He's the chieftain of the twelve Med-jai tribes, and I'm… well, I'm a mess is what I am."

It was Jonathan's turn to roll his eyes. "Maddie, you're hardly a mess. You've grown up quite a bit since Hamunaptra. Probably more than I have, actually."

"Not enough. I'm still me. I'm still…"

"Still what?"

She shrugged, and then sighed.

Jonathan frowned at her. "You actually think you're not good enough."

"It's not just me who thinks it!" Madeline exclaimed. "It's his whole tribe! They don't like me Jonathan!"

"Well, so what?"

"So what? What do you mean, so what? It's his tribe, Jonathan! It's his family! It's… it's his job, his 'sacred duty'… Jonathan, I can't interfere with that."

He shook his head, still frowning. "I don't understand."

"I know you don't. Look, you weren't there; you didn't see what I saw. He knew he had to kill me. He knew that if you didn't find a loophole, it was his _duty_ to kill me. And then he stood there and he told me he couldn't, Jonathan. He told me he couldn't kill me. He was shirking his duty – and not just any duty, mind you, but his _sacred_ duty – and he was shirking it for _me_. I can't be in his life!"

Jonathan was still shaking his head. "You're being ridiculous, Madeline!" She blinked, stunned. She hadn't heard Jonathan use her full name in… well, shit, it had to have been years. "So he didn't want to kill you! No one wanted to kill you! That's a good thing, you silly cow! Bloody hell…"

"It wasn't! It wasn't a good thing! Look, there is just too much pressure and responsibility and… and all the expectations… I can't do it, Jonathan! I just can't do it."

He was still staring at her incredulously. "What?" she snapped.

Jonathan shook his head again. "I never thought I'd see the day when you ran away from something," he said. "Usually it's me doing the running away while you charge headlong into whatever trouble we've managed to get into… ironically, it's usually trouble that_ I've_ caused…"

Madeline glowered at him. "Excuse me?"

"You're being me, Maddie! You're being the coward!"

Her glower grew more deadly by the minute. "Oh, I know you did not just call me that."

"Fine," Jonathan said, holding up his hands in defeat. "You don't have to listen to me! Lord knows you aren't going to! And who's going to have to pick up the pieces when you realize you're bloody miserable? Me, always me! Blimey, woman, I swear…"

Jonathan rambled off into several seconds of unintelligible mumbling. Madeline stared at him, rather shocked. "Are you trying to convince me to run off into the desert and marry a warrior for the gods?"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, don't get carried away. This isn't a romance novel, you know. I just meant there's no reason you can't be in his life. There's no reason you can't try. Bloody hell, can't you see you're being _insane_ right now?"

Madeline didn't say anything. She just stared into the fire again. Jonathan sighed. "Well, all right. You do what you have to do, I suppose."

Again, Madeline made no reply. Jonathan sighed again and got to his feet. "I'm going to bed. You should try and sleep too."

She shrugged. Jonathan stood there for a moment, staring at her. She felt his fist make light, teasing contact with her shoulder. "Come on, old girl," he whispered. "There's no reason to sulk. Go on to bed."

She shook her head. For the third and final time, Jonathan sighed and turned to walk away. "Have it your way then."

The tent flaps behind her rustled as Jonathan pulled them back and clambered inside. She heard him tossing about on the ground for a few moments, trying to get comfortable. Then finally, he lay still. She assumed he'd fallen asleep.

Was she being ridiculous? Madeline wasn't sure. She knew she was being ridiculous right now, sitting out at the fire like a petulant child, sulking because her best friend had scolded her. But over all, no matter how many times she replayed Jonathan's words over in her mind, she still couldn't convince herself that she was in the wrong. Maybe she was afraid. Maybe she was insane, as Jonathan had put it. But it didn't matter. Madeline knew, deep down, that right now, at this moment in her life, she wasn't the woman Ardeth needed her to be.

Not that he would ask her to be. He wouldn't ask her. She was sure of it.

Still, the thought that he might ask nagged at her, keeping her awake and causing her to agonize over it, searching for the least cruel way to say no.

* * *


	30. The Friend

Self Esteem

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the motion picture _The Mummy_. That's all you, Universal Studios. And I'm not going to profit off this story, so calm down. There's no reason to sue, and you all make too much money anyway. Vultures.

AN: Big, huge thanks to The-Lady-Isis, Illinois Rose, Padme4000, Nelle07, benzene, IKeepGoldFishInMyBra, idkaname, zentry, Ravenclaw Samurai, Jac Danvers, Misplaced Angel, Typhoid-Candy, bones881, pirate hero, and VanillaBubblez for the reviews!

Whoo! Hurray! After three – going on four – long weeks, poorpiratelass' computer has finally been returned to her! It's so good to have my baby back home. And not just for me… the final chapter of Self Esteem is here at last! I know, I know… a couple weeks are _not_ equal to a couple days, but there was only so much I could do about it. Sorry! Thanks to everyone who kept up with this story… it is finally finished! Be on the look out for the sequel… yes, it's a TMR rewrite. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 30: The Friend

The rest of the ride into Cairo was – at least on Madeline and Ardeth's horse – spent in complete silence.

When the Med-jai caravan finally entered the city, the sun was just rising, painting the sky grapefruit and watermelon. The breeze blowing in off the river reeked of freshly caught fish. As the procession of black-robed men wound its way through the narrow, dusty streets, they attracted the stares of street merchants, customers, pedestrians… everyone they passed stopped to gawk at the long line of desert men on horseback.

The procession finally came to a stop in front of the Drunken Scarab. For a moment, everyone simply stared at the tavern in silence. The windows had been smashed in, the front door stood wide open, and broken glass littered the ground outside. The shutters were hanging off their hinges, and perfectly round little bullet holes were Swiss-cheesed all throughout the building's face, evidence of the Berkley onslaught.

"Whoa," Madeline said finally, breaking the silence. "The bar, it's… shit, I am so sorry Jonathan."

"Yes, well," Jonathan shrugged, hopping down from his horse. "So am I."

He made his way towards the debris that was once the finest establishment in Cairo, and stepped through the open door. The sound of glass crunching underneath his shoes echoed out into the street. Madeline was floored at how calm he was being… until she realized he'd already come home to this once before. He must have had enough time to adjust.

She glanced sideways at Evie, Rick and Nasira. Only Rick looked back at her. The two exchanged raised eyebrows.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Jonathan shouted suddenly from within. "Blasted looters! Oh, if I get my hands on them…!"

His shouting faded into unintelligible grumbling. Rick smirked at Madeline. Both of them muffled a laugh. Now _that _sounded more like Jonathan.

Evie immediately leapt down from her horse. "I'd better get in there," she said, rushing inside to comfort her older brother.

Rick shrugged, jumping down from his own ride and following his wife.

Ardeth dismounted behind her, saying something to Yasir about supplies. His younger brother nodded, repeated the order for the rest of the congregation, and then led most of them back towards the market place.

Nasira stayed behind. She climbed down from her horse and walked into the bar without looking at either Madeline or Ardeth.

Ardeth reached for Madeline, gripping her tightly around the waist and swinging her down from the saddle. He set her gently on the ground and then stood there silently, staring at her, not letting her go.

Madeline stared back at him for a moment, feeling half fearful and yet half expectant – and then she ruined whatever might have been about to happen by breaking eye contact and shooting the tavern a nervous glance.

He immediately released her waist, following her gaze. She looked back at him again, but he didn't look back at her. Instead, he headed for the bar. Madeline started to follow him – but then, quite unexpectedly, he stopped and turned back around, suddenly sweeping her off the ground.

Her eyebrows arched upwards in surprise and confusion. She parted her lips slightly, intending to ask what the hell he was doing. "The glass," he answered before she could ask. "It is everywhere."

And she still had no shoes. Fair enough. She nodded. Ardeth carried her inside.

Within Jonathan's dim, devastated den, they found Rick, Evie and Nasira lounging around the battered bar, watching the tavern-keeper as he paced behind the counter, counting the liquor bottles on the shelves. Jonathan's dark, thick brows were bunched together in an exasperated frown as he took inventory, totaling his losses. "Gone," he kept muttering. "Gone, gone, gone, all bloody gone… no! No, not that one! That one was bloody expensive!"

The inside of Jonathan's bar looked like a battle had taken place among the tables and chairs and liquor bottles. Of course, when Madeline really thought about it, that was exactly what had happened. As a result, the floor was now littered with broken glass, the furniture turned upside down, and the whole room reeked of spilt booze.

Evie tore her eyes away from her brother's theatrics when she heard Ardeth's step on the floorboards. Her eyes widened first, and then she immediately crumpled her nose. "Oh, Madeline, I forgot you didn't have shoes!"

She sounded very distraught. "It's ok, Evie," Madeline replied.

"Oh, and there's glass _everywhere_ too!" Evie carried on as if Madeline hadn't said a word. "Ardeth, would you take her upstairs? I'll find something for you to wear, Madeline."

She didn't wait for either Ardeth or Madeline to reply before racing upstairs.

By the time all was said and done, Madeline was exhausted. Ardeth set her down on Jonathan's guest bed and then quickly backed out of the room, leaving Madeline alone with the crazed whirlwind of activity that was her sister-in-law. She couldn't blame him for bailing, as cowardly as it was. It was quite overwhelming, watching as Evie ran from one corner of the room to the next, flinging clothing about and muttering unintelligibly. Madeline was suddenly, vividly reminded of Jonathan.

Finally, Evie plopped a pile of Rick's clothes on the bed beside Madeline, and set a spare pair of his boots next to the bed – seeing as nothing Evie owned could possible fit her, Madeline thought ruefully – and then she vanished out the bedroom door, leaving Madeline speechless in her wake.

Quickly, Madeline exchanged the dusty dress for a pair of pants and an overly large shirt, and then she yanked on Rick's boots. Lastly, she dragged Evie's hairbrush through her tangles, wiped some of the dirt off her face, and then stepped out in the hallway.

She was hurrying towards the stairs when Ardeth suddenly appeared at the top of them. Madeline froze. So did he.

They stared at one another for a moment, and then Madeline lowered her eyes to the floor. Carefully not looking at him, she rushed towards the steps, brushing past Ardeth.

He caught her arm. She was forced to stop. "Madeline," he murmured.

Madeline swallowed hard, closing her eyes. "Yes?"

Ardeth's finger hooked her under the chin, tilting her face towards his. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him, attempting nonchalance. "You are avoiding me," he announced.

Madeline forced herself to snort. "Don't be ridiculous," she returned. "I'm not avoiding you. Hell, I _can't_ avoid you. I mean, we've been sharing the same horse for over two days, so… it would be impossible to avoid you."

"And yet," he said softly. "You've managed it."

She swallowed hard again and stuttered out, "I… I don't…"

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing."

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not."

"You are."

Madeline sighed harshly, frustrated with both Ardeth and herself. "Ardeth, I'm not… I just… I can't…"

He pressed his lips against hers, forcing her against the wall. Her sentence cut out halfway, petering out into a high squeak. Automatically, her lips pumped back against his, and she grabbed hold of his arms to keep her balance, promptly forgetting what she'd planned to say.

Ardeth's tongue pushed its way inside her mouth, his teeth grazing her lower lip. Madeline moaned against him, her hands moving up to grasp his face and then twisting in his hair. He wrapped his arm around her waist, yanking her against him, his chest pressed against hers, her hips molded into his. One of his hands crept up her spine to grab the back of her skull, his fingers burying themselves in her hair. He opened up his lips wider, his tongue making its way deeper inside her mouth.

She forced herself to pull away, tearing her lips from his and twisting in his grasp, attempting unsuccessfully to break free. He didn't let go. She pressed her palms uselessly against his chest, not exerting anywhere near enough pressure to actually push him away.

"No," she murmured, her lips inches from his.

"Why not?" he asked quietly, still holding her against him, his lips directly against her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

A creak on the stairs startled them both, sending them flying apart. Nasira appeared on the top of the steps, frowning at both of them.

Madeline wondered, rather guiltily, exactly how much she'd seen.

"O'Connell wants to speak with you, Ardeth," Nasira announced, her voice low.

Ardeth nodded. "Thank you, Nasira."

He brushed past her, rushing down the stairs – and subsequently evading an incredibly awkward situation. No fair. Madeline leaned against the wall, avoiding Nasira's eyes. This didn't stop Nasira from staring at her for what had to have been a millennium. Finally, Madeline got uncomfortable enough to look up and make eye contact with the other woman. "What?" she asked, unable to take Nasira's unwavering stare one moment longer.

Nasira stepped off the top step and leaned against the wall opposite Madeline. "I know what happened between you and my brother," she said evenly.

Great. Madeline had been afraid of this. She stood stock still, staring somewhere to the left of Ardeth's little sister, squirming under Nasira's gaze. She had no response for Nasira's announcement. What exactly was she supposed to say to something like that anyway?

"I am unsure if this is a good thing or a bad thing," Nasira continued.

Really? Was she? Madeline raised an eyebrow. Join the club.

"I know it stopped Nitocris. I know it saved your life. And I am grateful for both those things. Once, I would even have been happy that you and my brother had gotten so close. I _like_ you, Madeline. You are good for my brother in so many ways. But… I just don't know."

Nasira lowered her eyes to the floor, searching the floorboards as if she expected them to provide her with her next sentence. Madeline chewed her bottom lip, wishing there was some way to escape this awkward conversation. She wondered if Nasira had been talking to Yasir. It certainly sounded like she'd been talking to Yasir.

Not that Madeline disagreed with either of them.

"My brother cares for you very much," Nasira said finally.

Madeline was absolutely miserable by this point. "Nasira, look… I… I don't want to…"

"Don't worry," Nasira interrupted, smiling sadly. "I am not trying to give you the obligatory 'if you hurt my older brother' speech."

"You aren't?"

"No," Nasira shook her head. "I am aware it would be pointless. You have already made up your mind to hurt my older brother. I see it in your eyes."

Her words ripped through Madeline as painfully, as though Nasira had used a knife on her instead of conversation. She wanted to protest but although her mouth opened, no words came out. She couldn't exactly deny Nasira's accusation. Ardeth _did_ care for her, she knew that now. And honestly, that only made things worse. Because Nasira was right; Madeline _was_ going to hurt Ardeth. Not on purpose, exactly, and definitely not because she wanted to… but because she had to, plain and simple.

"I know you think it is for the best," Nasira went on. "But I cannot agree with you. You _could_ fit among us. We are not too good for you, Madeline – or anyone, really."

Madeline frowned. "You…"

"Yes," Nasira interrupted. "I _have_ been talking to Jonathan."

Madeline rolled her eyes. "Fantastic."

"Listen to me," Nasira practically ordered. "The Med-jai are an ancient tribe, and we have done much good in our time. But we are _not_ the good, noble, pure and flawless people you make us out to be. We are human. Like everyone else, we make mistakes, we can flat out fail, and we are capable of dark things – even despicable things. Our past speaks for itself."

"Maybe that's true," Madeline whispered. "But it doesn't mean I belong out there."

"Trust me, Madeline. The wise among us would not hold you to some impossible standard of perfection that we cannot even meet ourselves."

"Nasira," Madeline said slowly, seriously. "Trust _me_; I'm not the person you think I am."

"No," the young girl shook her head. "You are not the person _you_ think you are. You are much more."

Again, Madeline shifted uncomfortably under Nasira's brown-eyed stare. Nasira sighed. "I can see you are not ready for any of this. And neither is Ardeth – not really. I just wish what happened had not occurred so soon, so fast… too soon, too fast. Maybe under different circumstances…"

Nasira trailed off, shaking her head and sighing again. Madeline frowned at the other woman. Where exactly was Nasira going with this?

Suddenly, a small smile twitched on Nasira's lips, and the young girl stepped forward, folding Madeline into a warm and friendly hug. Her frown growing still deeper, Madeline very awkwardly hugged Nasira back, surprised by the sudden show of affection. "I do like you, Madeline, so much," Nasira said into her ear. She released Madeline and took a step back. "We are friends, no?"

Confused as hell, Madeline nodded. At least, she thought they were friends. "Of course we are. I mean, I like to think so."

"Good," Nasira said, her smile widening ever so slightly. "I will keep in touch."

Madeline smiled back. "Good. I'd like that."

"So would I."

They stood silently – awkwardly – for a moment. Then Nasira turned to go. She'd already started down the stairs when suddenly she froze, glancing back at Madeline over her shoulder. "I will say this one more thing," she announced. "And then nothing else. My brother Yasir is of an old-fashioned mind. He believes happiness and duty cannot coexist; that if he were to be happy, he would ultimately neglect the sacred duties he has sworn to fulfill. A silly philosophy. I do not believe that. I know better. Duty and happiness can go hand in hand – I've seen it done before."

Madeline stared at the teenage girl wordlessly. It amazed her, to hear something so wise come out of the mouth of someone so young. Nasira could not be older than seventeen or eighteen, yet whenever she spoke, she always left Madeline with some sort of surprising wisdom. A wisdom that Madeline, who had to be nearly ten years older than her, could never have thought up on her own.

"I just wish you could realize it too," Nasira murmured. Then, having said her piece, Nasira turned away and walked down the stairs.

Madeline stood still and silent in the upstairs hall, her eyes fixed on Nasira's retreating back, the other woman's words still echoing in her head. For the first time, Madeline began to wonder if she was doing the right thing.

* * *

Nearly an hour had passed, but the scene on the bottom floor of Jonathan's tavern remained the same as it had before. The Drunken Scarab was still a frightful mess – glass everywhere, sticky puddles of liquor congealing on the floor and the countertop. Jonathan was still taking inventory and getting very close to finishing… and consequently, getting very close to hysterics. The more liquor he found missing or broken, the higher his voice got, the more theatrical his gesturing, and the more colorful his cussing.

"I'm certainly glad Alex isn't here," Evie murmured as she watched her brother with a mixture of sympathy and irritation. She was leaning against the table that Madeline was sitting at, her arms crossed over her chest.

Madeline smirked. "I'm sure Rick has already taught him more than enough dirty words… and without Jonathan's help."

Her words produced a wince in Evie that suggested she'd hit pretty close to the truth.

Nasira was seated at the bar, watching Jonathan with mostly worry and sympathy, but also some amusement. Every once in a while, she would offer Jonathan some words of encouragement or comfort… only to be silence by a cold and stony glare from the distraught tavern owner. Rick and Ardeth, on the other hand, were standing on the opposite end of the tavern, as far from Jonathan as they could get. Madeline spared her older brother and the Med-jai chieftain a glance over her shoulder. They were leaning against the back wall, side by side, arms crossed over their chests. Rick looked more relaxed than the chieftain, with one knee bent so that the sole of one boot rested against the wall, whereas Ardeth stood in a tense, watchful stance… a warrior's pose. Still, both men watched Jonathan with raised eyebrows. The similarity of their expressions would have made Madeline laugh if it hadn't been so creepy.

Personally, Madeline found nothing amusing about Jonathan's distress. This tavern was one of Jonathan's most prized possessions – excepting his car, of course. He was more proud of the success of the Drunken Scarab than anything else he'd ever done in his life, and now, between the stolen goods and the countless damages, Madeline worried his business might never recover.

Suddenly, countless hoof beats thundered from outside the Drunken Scarab. A large cloud of dust exploded in the street. The sound of the horses' trampling feet was punctuated by the occasional shrill, high pitched cries of Med-jai warriors.

Yasir and his men had returned.

Slowly, all the people in the in the tavern began to head out into the streets. Even Jonathan left off his bottle-counting to step outside and greet the returning Med-jai, although he grumbled under his breath the whole way.

Finally, the only two people left in the bar were Ardeth and Madeline.

She sat still in her chair, staring awkwardly at the tabletop. She swore she could feel Ardeth's eyes on her back. Unable to take the uncomfortable, heavy silence in the tavern, she got quickly to her feet, making her way towards the door. She heard Ardeth push himself off the wall and cross the room. Madeline quickened her step, but Ardeth suddenly came up on her right side and then stopped directly in front of her.

Madeline wasn't sure what to do. Apparently, Ardeth wasn't sure either. For what felt like eternity, they simply stood silently in Jonathan's tavern, staring at one another. The tension hung heavy on her shoulders as she looked into Ardeth's huge, dark eyes, trying desperately to think up something to say.

Finally, Ardeth broke the silence. "I must go."

She nodded. "Good bye."

He stare a moment longer. "Good bye."

Madeline forced a smile for him. Then she turned away quickly, again making haste for the door.

He grabbed her by the arm. She froze. Slowly, she looked back at him over her shoulder. Ardeth met her eyes, holding her gaze for a moment. And then, suddenly, he was dragging her towards the back of the bar, around the corner and into the long hallway that led to the storeroom. She stumbled into him as they rounded the corner and he took hold of her other arm as well, backing her against the wall. Once hidden from the curious stares of their friends and family, his lips crashed down on top of hers.

Madeline gasped against his mouth, her hands rising up against his chest. Her intention had been to push him away – but instead, her fingers grasped the front of his robes and yanked him closer. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against his body, his tongue invading her mouth. Half of her mind shrieked angry orders at her, demanding she push him away at once, while the other half – the victorious half – kissed him back furiously, passionately, as she clutched at him desperately.

Suddenly, he wrenched his mouth from hers, leaving her gasping for air. He too seemed breathless as he held her against him. "I cannot do this," he murmured into her hair.

Good, she thought, ignoring the painful somersault her heart suddenly performed. Ardeth was rationalizing now. He would reject her at last, as well he should. Still, an awful twisting sensation spread through her gut, as though some cruel, crazy person had taken hold of her stomach and, mistaking it for a wet towel, was viciously wringing water from it.

"Can you?" he asked. "I remember what you told me. That this could not work, that it would detract from my duty, foster resentment among my people… but I have decided that is, in your words, bull shit."

Madeline blinked. "I'm sorry; did you just say bull shit?"

He ignored her sidebar. "No matter how many times I repeat your words to myself, I cannot believe them. We could make this work, I am sure of it. All we have to do is try. All you have to do is try."

She stiffened. "Come with me," he said.

"What?"

"Come with me," he repeated. "Marry me, Madeline."

There it was. Exactly what she'd been afraid of. A marriage proposal. That was _so_ the opposite of rejecting her. Although she had been wondering if this would happen, Madeline was still shocked. "Are you asking me or telling me?" she managed to blurt out, stumbling over the words.

"Marry me, Madeline," he said again, tightening his hold on her. His eyes were boring into hers, twitching about as if he were searching for something in her gaze.

She stared back. "Ardeth, I can't…"

"Why?" he demanded. "Why can't you?"

Her mouth moved uselessly. She had so many answers to that, and yet none of them came out. "Because you are not good enough?" he supplied. She winced. He sounded angry, even bitter. "Don't you dare tell me that."

She blinked, trying to ease the sudden burning in her eyes. Then she swallowed hard. "You can't just ask me to marry you," she said in a small voice. "What will your tribe think if you bring me home to the desert? When you bring home some silly white girl – some silly _American_ – and announce she's going to be your _wife_?"

Ardeth's dark eyes grew even darker. He released her roughly. "This isn't America," he returned harshly. "This isn't England. The Med-jai do not follow the same rules. Is that what bothers you? That I am…"

"No," Madeline interrupted fiercely, shaking her head as hard as she could. She hadn't meant that at all. "Of course not."

"Good," he replied. His voice was sharp and his expression stern. "Then _why_ won't you marry me?"

"You know why! I've told you why! Your family, your tribesmen – you know they won't accept me! You know I'll interfere…"

"I don't know any of that! And you don't either! Why are you so afraid to try?"

Madeline took a deep breath, trying to push aside any lingering doubts that might have taken root in her mind after her talk with Nasira. This was the right thing to do. She was certain of it.

"It's more than your people," she said slowly. "I am not the right person for this. There are so many rules, so many expectations… and I can't live up to them. I saw the way you spoke to Nasira. I remember how I spoke to you. I won't ruin you, Ardeth. and if you marry me – _me, _with my fighting, and my big mouth, and my inability to keep my opinions to myself – that's exactly what I'll do. I will destroy you."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Why can't you understand? All those things you claim as flaws… they are the reasons I fell in love with you."

Madeline stared at him, speechless. What was she supposed to say to that?

"You think you cannot handle the responsibilities of being a Med-jai? That you cannot live up to our expectations? Most of the Med-jai cannot do that. Madeline, I have failed my people more times than I care to count. I am not perfect. I never have been. I allowed the creature to be resurrected, I allowed that necklace to be stolen, to be placed on your neck, I…"

"All right!" she interrupted him, almost shouting. "You aren't perfect! I get it! You make mistakes! Well, guess what? Marrying me – that's another one of those mistakes you've been making. And I won't be another one of your mistakes! I won't!"

Silence descended on them once Madeline's tirade came to an end. They stared at one another for a very long time. Finally, Ardeth said quietly, "I love you."

Madeline looked away.

"I love you," he persisted. "You make me happy. For the first time in… I won't be happy without you. I know that."

She said nothing. "Do you love me?" he demanded, her silence provoking his impatience.

Maybe she should just say no. That would probably be best. If he thought she didn't love him, maybe he'd let the subject drop.

But she couldn't. Try as she might, she could not force the lie from her lips. It didn't matter anyway. He'd see through it – through her. He always did.

Ardeth seized her chin between his thumb and his forefinger, tilting her face towards his. "Do you love me?" he asked again.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, shaking her head in frustration. "Yes, all right? I love you, ok? I love you!"

"Good," he whispered, his hand moving to cup the side of her face. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "That is very good."

"No," she whispered back, shaking her head. "It's not."

"Madeline. Look at me."

She forced herself to comply.

"I love you," he said again. "And you love me. We should be together."

"I wish it was that easy."

He sighed. "It is only difficult because you are making it so. Madeline, I love you and I want you to marry me. Will you?"

His hand was still holding her face, and he was looking directly into her eyes. She stared at him, unable to reply. "Will you marry me?" he asked again.

Madeline stared at him for a moment longer, and then slowly shook her head. "No."

Ardeth stared at her. Then, very abruptly, he released her cheek and walked away.

Madeline waited until the sound of Ardeth's footsteps had carried almost all the way to the front entrance. Then she ran around the corner, stopping just inside the tavern area and leaning against the back wall. She watched as Ardeth stepped out into the sunlight. As she stood there, spying, her eyes began to burn again. He and his younger sister said goodbye to her small family and climbed onto their horses. Then Ardeth hollered at his men in Arabic, and they all kicked their horses into a trot. The Med-jai and their horses rumbled down the street, away from the bar, towards the outskirts of Cairo.

He only looked back once.

The burning in her eyes gave way to actual tears. Her chest began to ache as the warm liquid trickle down her cheeks. She couldn't stop the sob that escaped from her throat.

Before anyone could come back inside, she ran back around the corner and then directly upstairs. Once she'd reached the second level, she tore down the hall to the guest bedroom, flew inside, and quickly closed the door behind her.

She leaned against the closed door and took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself. Then she walked slowly to the bed and sat down on the mattress, where she buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

After a while, there was a timid knock on the door. Madeline ignored her visitor, but the door creaked open anyway. "Maddie?" Jonathan's voice drifted into the room.

She didn't even look up. There was a click as he shut the door behind him. She heard his light footsteps on the wood floor as he crossed the room, and felt the sag of the mattress as he sat beside her.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

Madeline didn't want to look at him. She was too embarrassed. It was always embarrassing to be caught crying, even if it was only by your best friend. "He left," she said into her hands.

"Yes, I know. Is that why you're so upset?"

She didn't respond. "What did he say?" Jonathan pressed.

Another small sob escaped her throat, despite her valiant attempt to suppress it. "He asked me to marry him."

There was a short silence. "Oh," Jonathan said finally, sounding surprised.

Her shoulders started shaking. "I take it you said no," he added.

She nodded, still hiding her face in her hands.

"But you wanted to say yes?"

She nodded again.

"Oh, Maddie," Jonathan sighed. He took hold of her wrists and pulled her hands from her face. Still, Madeline refused to look at him, embarrassed by her red face and puffy eyes. Jonathan reached out and took her chin in his hand, turning her face towards him in a gesture that reminded Madeline painfully of Ardeth. She tried to compose herself as she met Jonathan's eyes, but her lip kept right on trembling, and there was no stopping the tears still rolling down her cheeks. Jonathan gave her a smile.

"You'll always have me, old girl."

Madeline tried to smile back, but she couldn't. Instead, she sobbed once again, completely losing it. Jonathan opened his arms and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Really, it wasn't surprising that Jonathan's fireside prediction had come true. As usual, Jonathan was the one picking up the pieces, the one person who was always there for her – her best friend.

And he'd always be there for her. She knew he would, just as she would always be there for him.

Yes, she'd always have Jonathan.

* * *


End file.
